An investigation of bra concerns and barriers to participation in horse riding

Abstract

Horse riding is a female-dominated sport where participation levels are declining. The influence of the breast on participation levels and current satisfaction with bras for this activity is unknown. This study aimed to investigate bra concerns and breast-related barriers to participation in horse riding. A 6-part, 32 question online survey was completed by 1,324 females who participated in horse riding. Descriptive and chi-squared analyses were utilised; inductive content analysis was completed to analyse qualitative responses. At least one breast-related barrier was reported by 25% of all participants. Larger-breasted riders were less satisfied (P<0.001) with their bras. 70% of riders stated that improvements needed to be made in bras to help reduce breast health issues, with support, style and fit the most common reasons cited. This study highlights the importance of addressing breast-related barriers and provides rationale for the development of equestrian-specific breast support garments and educational initiatives.

Sports bra use, preferences and fit issues among exercising females in the US, the UK and China

“…Most UK (64.1%) and US (65.6%) participants had never been professionally fitted for a sports bra, which corresponds to previous UK research (Brown et al, 2014;Burbage and Cameron, 2018). In contrast, over half of Chinese participants were professionally fitted for a sports bra in the last month, or last three months.…”

“…Larger-breasted women are reported to experience more bra fit issues due to the large range of breast mass and volume within a bra size making identifying an appropriate bra more challenging (McGhee et al, 2013). Rubbing and chaffing, shoulder straps digging in, upper body pain, and poor posture were bra issues experienced significantly more frequently by participants with larger breasts compared to those with smaller breasts (Brown et al, 2014;Burbage and Cameron, 2018). Furthermore, Brown et al (2014) reported that sports bra use was more frequent and perceived as more important in larger-breasted women (≥D cup).…”

The incidence of breast health issues and the efficacy of a sports bra fit and issue service in British Army recruits

“…Chi-squared tests of independence using two-sided Fisher's exact test (FET) (expected frequencies 5) (Field 2013) were used to determine associations between bra cup size and BMI, breast pain, and frequency of bra fit issues during BT. Bra cup size was split into 'small' (AA-C cup) and 'large' (!D cup) for the purpose of the statistical analysis (Burbage and Cameron 2018). However, it is acknowledged that this does not account for band size of the recruits and is therefore a crude measure of breast size and estimate of breast volume.…”

Sports Bra Preferences by Age and Impact of Breast Size on Physical Activity among American Females

“…In addition, certain sports bras may be more ideal for particular sports or movement patterns. Research has shown that with different movement patterns, such as running and jumping, breast motion can be different, so different sports bras may be needed to provide optimal support for different activities [ 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 ]. A few companies have created guidelines for sports bra fittings [ 37 , 38 ] and there is a web-based fitting program from an academic center well known for its research in this area [ 39 ], but hands-on fittings may only offered in certain areas, which can limit access to proper fit and education around optimal fit.…”