**3. Results**

During the study period (November/December 2018–March/April 2019), 59 dancers (47%) reported no MS injury/problem, 43% (54 dancers) reported an MS problem, and 10% (13 dancers) reported an MS injury (Figure 2). When compared across dance styles, no significant di fferences were obtained (Chi square = 1.51, *p* = 0.84). Altogether, 67 dancers (53%) reported at least one injury/problem, a prevalence of 39%. Multiple injuries/problems were reported by 10% of dancers. Over approximately 7050 h of dance and 91 injuries/problems occurred in total (95% CI: 73–111).

**Figure 2.** Prevalence of the musculoskeletal (MS) problems and injures in adolescent dancers.

The lowest prevalence of injury occurred in females involved in S/L, with 71% of dancers experiencing no problem/injury over the study course. On the other hand, males involved in urban dances experienced highest rates of injury (18%) with additional 45% who experienced some kind of MS problem over the course of the study. The most evident difference between males and females was evidenced for standard/Latin dances, where males reported more MS problems/injury than females (71% females and 29% males reported no MS problem/injury) (Figure 3).

**Figure 3.** Prevalence of the musculoskeletal (MS) problems and injuries in adolescent dancers according to gender for studied dance styles.

On average, each dancer suffered from 0.72 injuries over the study period (95% CI: 0.28–1.41) with similar rates of occurrence for both genders (0.67 (95% CI: 0.51–0.85) and 0.78 (95% CI: 0.61–0.97) in females and males, respectively), with no significant difference between genders (MW = 1.22, *p* = 0.21), a rate of 2.88 injuries per dancer per year.

Differences in the studied predictors among dance styles are shown in Table 1. The S/L dancers had been involved in dance for the shortest amount of time, but they participated in more training hours than the RNR and urban dancers did. A significant difference in BF% between individuals involved in different dance styles was shown, with SL dancers being the leanest. Differences in SBT were shown for 10 of 16 variables, and in all cases urban dancers had the lowest performance, with no significant differences between RNR and S/L dancers.

For non-adjusted regression, the higher odds for the occurrence of MS injury were shown for older dancers (OR = 1.51, 95% CI: 1.11–2.04) and for those who had had a longer career in dance (OR = 1.31, 95% CI: 1.04–1.67). Dancers with more experience in dance were at a greater risk for reporting an MS problem (OR = 1.17, 95% CI 1.04–1.32) or MS injury (OR = 1.17, 95% CI: 1.01–1.38). Gender, dance style, and anthropometric/body build indices did not significantly influence the occurrence of MS problem/injury. Several SEBT variables were correlated with MS injury/problem, with lower odds for MS injury/problem occurring in dancers who achieved better SEBT normalized scores. Namely, significant influences of dynamic balance on the occurrence of an MS problem/injury were recorded for R3 (OR (95% CI); MS injury: OR = 0.95 (0.91–0.99)), R4 (MS problem: 0.98 (0.96–0.99); MS injury: 0.97 (0.95–0.99)), R5 (MS problem: 0.98 (0.96–0.99); MS injury: 0.97 (0.95–0.99)), R6 (MS problem: 0.98 (0.96–0.99)), R7 (MS problem: 0.98 (0.96–0.99)), L3 (MS problem: 0.98 (0.95–0.99)), L5 (MS problem: 0.98

(0.97–0.99); MS injury: 0.98 (0.95–0.99)), L6 (MS problem: 0.98 (0.96–0.99); MS injury: 0.97 (0.95–0.99)), L7 (MS problem: 0.97 (0.95–0.99)), and L8 (MS problem: 0.96 (0.92–0.99)) (Table 2).

**Table 1.** Descriptive statistics (presented as means ± standard deviations) and differences between dance styles in studied variables (ANOVA with additional Welch's *p* calculation).


R1–R8—normalized result on Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT) while standing on the right leg in eight directions; L1–L8—normalized result on Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT) while standing on the left leg.

**Table 2.** Correlates of musculoskeletal problems and injury in adolescent dancers; results are given as OR (95% CI).



**Table 2.** *Cont*.

R1–R8—normalized result on Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT) while standing on the right leg in eight directions; L1–L8—normalized result on Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT) while standing on the left leg.

In order to statistically control the possible influences of age, gender, and dancing experience, multinomial regressions were calculated between SEBT measures, including age, gender, and dance style as confounding factors (i.e., age was a stronger predictor of an MS problem/injury than experience in dance (please see previous results), while age and dance experience were shown to be naturally correlated). Generally, even for these calculations, a similar protective influence of dynamic balance on MS problem/injury occurrence was shown, although not all variables found to be significantly correlated with the occurrence of an MS problem/injury in the "crude" model were significantly associated with the outcome in the regression model, which controlled for confounding factors (Model 1). Specifically, Model 1 showed that there was a lower likelihood of an MS problem/injury occurring for dancers who achieved better scores for R3 (OR (95% CI); MS injury: 0.96 (0.92–0.99)), L3 (MS problem: 0.98 (0.95–0.99)), L6 (MS problem: 0.98 (0.96–0.99); MS injury: 0.97 (0.95–0.99)), and L8 (MS problem: 0.97 (0.93–0.99)) (Table 2).
