Background/Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine differences in body mass index (BMI) and body proportional lengths of elite female dance sport performers, compared to collegiate female students.
Method: Study participants were 40 collegiate elite female dance sport performers and 67 college female students from South Korea. Participants were measured by experienced anthropometrists using an internationally-recognized protocol to describe physique. BMI and body proportional lengths such as crural index (tibial height / femur length), skelic index (leg length / sitting height), androgyny index (biacromial breadth / bicristal breadth) and brachial index (forearm length / upper arm length) were computed for each participant from various anthropometry measures. One-way ANOVAs were used to detect a mean difference between elite female dance sport performers and collegiate female students in BMI and body proportional lengths. Alpha level was set at 0.05.
Analysis/Results: There were statistically significant mean differences in BMI, F(1, 105) = 21.36, p = 0.001, partial η2 = 0.17, and crural index, F(1, 105) = 10.79, p = 0.001, partial η2 = 0.09, indicating elite dance sport performers (BMI = 19.25 ± 1.39; crural index = 0.97 ± 0.07) were taller and lighter and relatively short lower leg length as compared to the collegiate female students (BMI = 21.02 ± 2.17; crural index = 1.02 ± 0.07). Other body proportional lengths were not significant.
Conclusions: The observed group differences in crural index and BMI could suggest a self-selection of performers into dance sports in which they are likely to excel.