A Critical Review of the Prevalence of Secondary Amenorrhea in Ballet Dancers

Abstract

The literature was evaluated in an effort to explain the apparently high prevalence and wide range of secondary amenorrhea reported for ballet dancers. In the general population the prevalence of secondary amenorrhea is between 2% to 5%. In the ballet community the prevalence of amenorrhea is 6% to 73%. Seven of the 22 articles assessed present a prevalence of secondary amenorrhea greater than 30% for ballet dancers. Due to lack of reported information within these studies, a better understanding of the data cannot be gained. Existing reports were found deficient in the following areas: activity level, caloric intake, menstrual log, specific subject information (rank, expertise, and individual and group data), standard definition of secondary amenorrhea, methods of data collection, lack of prospective studies, and recordings of hormonal contraceptives. To enable an evaluation and explanation of the prevalence of secondary amenorrhea in ballet dancers, new research should be undertaken to include all these variables in order to provide a more complete understanding.