Independent Associations of Body Composition with Dance Training Experience, Physical Activity, and Sedentary Behavior Among Polish Folk Dancers: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Regular physical activity is generally associated with favorable body composition; however, little is known about the relationship between long-term folk dance participation, overall physical activity, sedentary behavior, and body composition. This study aimed to determine whether dance training experience, total physical activity, and sitting time were independently associated with BMI and body composition parameters among young adult Polish folk dancers. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 79 members of a Polish folk dance ensemble (51 women and 28 men) aged 18–30 years. Body composition was assessed using bioelectrical impedance analysis. Physical activity and weekday sitting time were assessed using the Polish short form of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ-SF), while dance experience was determined using a study-specific questionnaire. Spearman’s rank correlations and hierarchical linear regression models including sex and age as covariates were used to examine associations between dance experience, physical activity, sitting time, BMI, and body composition parameters. Results: Median dance experience was 30 months, while median total physical activity was 4746 MET-min/week. Dance experience was not significantly correlated with BMI or any body composition parameter. Total physical activity showed a weak positive correlation with BMI (rs = 0.25, p = 0.025) and basal metabolic rate (rs = 0.23, p = 0.039) but was not significantly correlated with body fat percentage, fat-free mass, muscle mass, total body water, or bone mass. In hierarchical regression models, dance experience did not significantly improve the explanation of BMI or any body composition parameter. The addition of physical activity and sitting time significantly improved the model for basal metabolic rate (ΔR2 = 0.028, p = 0.021), but not for the other outcomes. In the final models, sex was the strongest predictor of body composition, while total physical activity was independently associated with basal metabolic rate (β = 0.17, p = 0.007). Sitting time was not independently associated with any analyzed outcome. Conclusions: Among young, physically active Polish folk dancers, cumulative dance training experience was not associated with BMI or estimated body composition parameters. Sex accounted for a substantial proportion of variability in body composition, whereas total physical activity showed an independent association only with basal metabolic rate. Longitudinal studies incorporating dance-specific training volume, dietary intake, and sleep are warranted.