Patterns and Correlates of New Drug Initiation among Female Exotic Dancers: The Contribution of Occupational and Structural Risks.

Introduction: Exotic dance clubs (EDCs) can play pivotal roles in the production of drug-related risks for female exotic dancers (FED). We aimed to characterize the structural and occupational factors associated with new drug initiation post-EDC entry among new FED (N = 117) in Baltimore, Maryland. Materials and Methods: Logistic regression models tested the associations of new drug uptake, measured as initiating any illicit drug (including non-prescribed and diverted prescription narcotics) not used prior to EDC employment, with structural (e.g. debt sources, housing instability) and occupational (e.g. sex work, dancing as sole income source) vulnerabilities. Results: Most FED were younger than 24 years-old (60%), identified as Black/African American (61%), and did not complete high school (56%). Twenty-nine (25%) reported using any new drug post-EDC entry, with cocaine (34%) cited most frequently among newly initiated substances. In multivariable analysis, drug initiation was significantly associated with cumulative debt sources (Adjusted Odds Ratio [AOR] = 1.82, 95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 1.19-2.77), dancing as only income source (AOR = 4.21, CI: 1.29-13.71), and sex work (AOR = 9.26, CI: 2.74-31.32). Conclusions: Our findings implicate co-occurring structural and occupational factors in FED's initiation of illicit drugs proceeding EDC employment. Results demonstrate the coping role of drug use for FED in stressful working environments and the multiple vulnerabilities associated with illicit drug uptake. The study reinforces a need for harm reduction interventions (i.e. debt relief, employment connections, increased hourly pay) that consider the contribution of overlapping financial insecurities to the production of occupational risks motivating drug uptake.

Immediate effects of ultrasound-guided percutaneous neuromodulation versus physical exercise on performance of the flexor hallucis longus muscle in professional dancers: a randomised clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Ultrasound-guided percutaneous neuromodulation (US-guided PNM) is a minimally invasive intervention. This technique consists of the application of percutaneous electrical stimulation (PES) through an acupuncture needle-like electrode that is placed in close proximity to the nerve or motor point of the target muscle under ultrasound guidance. OBJECTIVE: To examine the immediate effects of a stretching exercise, an eccentric exercise and US-guided PNM on the performance of the flexor hallucis longus (FHL) muscle in young dancers. METHODS: Randomised clinical trial. A total of 45 dancers were divided into three groups: Stretching group, Eccentric group and PNM group. The following performance parameters were assessed: range of motion (ROM) of the first metatarsophalangeal joint, balance test and unilateral heel raise fatigue test. RESULTS: There were no differences between these groups in baseline measurements; at the end of the study, mean balance and endurance values were only significantly higher for the PNM group compared to the Stretching (p = 0.007 and p < 0.001, respectively) and Eccentric groups (p = 0.003 and p < 0.001, respectively). The effect sizes were large for the balance (d = 0.8) and endurance (d = 1.83) tests in the PNM group. Both the Stretching and Eccentric groups exhibited improvements in ROM compared to their baseline values (p = 0.009 and p = 0.004, respectively), whereas there was no significant temporal improvement noted for the PNM group. The effect sizes with respect to ROM values were moderate for stretching (d = 0.6) and eccentric (d = 0.7) exercises. CONCLUSION: An isolated PES intervention provides a greater immediate increase in balance and muscular strength than an active stretching and eccentric exercise of the FHL muscle in young ballet dancers.

A mixed methods investigation of dropout among talented young dancers: findings from the UK Centres for Advanced Training.

The aim of this study was to understand reasons for dropout from a dance-talent program in the UK, using a mixed methods design. In-depth interviews were conducted with ten dropout students to explore the influencing factors in their decision to leave the program. In order to triangulate these findings, reasons for dropout were then examined from descriptive records of 147 young dancers who had withdrawn from the talent program over a four-year period. Overall, the most frequently cited reasons for dropping out were conflicting demands, change in aspirations, course content, difficulty making friends, and lost passion. Injury, financial factors, low perceived competence, and teacher behavior emerged as minor reasons. Intervention strategies that focus on changes in course content may be the easiest to implement and most effective means to enhance student retention.

Cabaret dancers: "Settle down in order to stay mobile?" Bridging theoretical orientations within transnational migration studies.

Adopting a transnational perspective has become essential in understanding the contemporary practices taking place across borders, especially with respect to migrants. In this article, I argue that we can distinguish two theoretical orientations within transnational migration studies: one theorizing the complexity of transnational processes and focusing on established migrants settled in host countries; and the second theorizing transnational practices on the basis of different but continuous forms of mobility. Using the example of cabaret dancers in Switzerland, I show how they develop a very specific form of transnationality, which corresponds at first sight to the second theoretical orientation. Some of them are genuinely "world travelers"­they work in erotic clubs in Switzerland, Japan, or Lebanon, go home regularly to visit their families, or continue their studies. As such, their transnational morphology is highly influenced by gender as well as by the (transnational) nature of the sex industry and the opportunities and legal structure in Switzerland. Nevertheless, to remain in circulation, the dancers need to develop a kind of mobility capital, which involves, paradoxically, becoming "sedentarized" to a certain degree in Switzerland. The article thus advocates a theoretical framework that better captures the experiences of settled as well as of circulatory migrants.