PHYSICAL FITNESS AND HEALTH BEHAVIORS AMONG FEMALE AND MALE DANCERS DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC
PHYSICAL FITNESS AND HEALTH BEHAVIORS AMONG FEMALE AND MALE DANCERS DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Summary/Abstract: Background: Dance is both a form of physical activity and an art form. It combines physical and psychological aspects and has multifaceted effects on the entire body. The COVID-19 pandemic, along with the restrictions it brought about, made practicing dance significantly more difficult, as it did for other forms of sport and art. Aim of the study: The aim of this study was to evaluate the lifestyle and psychophysical condition of male and female dancers working in musical theaters during the COVID-19 pandemic. Materials and methods: The study included 25 female and 25 male dancers aged 23–33 years. The primary research tool was a proprietary questionnaire designed in Google Forms and distributed electronically. The questionnaire included questions on education, work limitations in the profession, retraining, career discontinuation, and general lifestyle, as well as anthropometric measurements used to calculate body mass index and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR). The results were analyzed using Microsoft Excel and Statistica 13.13. Results: Statistically significant differences were found for smoking, number of hours of sleep, and use of relaxation techniques, as well as the WHR index. It was concluded that the COVID-19 pandemic significantly caused limitations within the dancers’ profession. Conclusions: The pandemic affected the psychophysical condition and lifestyle of male and female dancers differently, with female dancers experiencing the pandemic period to a lesser extent.

• Details
• Contents