DanceOn50+: Effects of a Dance Program on Physical and Psycho-emotional Health
NCT ID: NCT07158866
Last Updated: 2025-09-08
Study Results
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Basic Information
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ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING
NA
110 participants
INTERVENTIONAL
2025-07-15
2026-01-31
Brief Summary
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Dance is a cultural and physical activity that can be well adapted for older adults. Dance might counteract physical and cognitive functional decline and promotes social and emotional interactions. Importantly, dance can be individually adjusted in terms of physical fitness and cultural background. However, to date, there is a lack of research on the effects of a dance intervention with older adults setting to promote healthy aging and lifelong learning. Thus, this research project aims to explore the impact of a dance-based intervention with older adults from the community on physical, cognitive and psycho-emotional health while simultaneously generating inclusive artistic experiences and lifelong learning opportunities.
The study includes a quantitative quasi-experimental design. The study sample consists of healthy individuals from the community aged ≥ 50 years recruited through community programs and social media platforms. Those who agree to participate will be informed of the project objectives and procedures. Participation in the study is voluntary, and all participants will be required to sign a voluntary informed consent form.
Participants will be assigned to a dance training group, Multicomponent Exercise Group or the control group (no intervention). Outcomes will be measured using the Astrand Cycle Ergometer Submaximal Test, Open Circuit Pirometer Technique, Battery Senior Fitness Test, Isokinetic Dynamometer and Handgrip Dynamometer to assess physical fitness, Accelerometer, and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index to assess physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and sleep; psychoemotional questionnaires validated on Portuguese subjects to assess psychoemotional variables; tape measure and bioeletric impedance balance to assess body composition; digital sphygmomanometer and spirometry to assess cardiovascular and respiratory function; neurocognitive and psychological tests to assess cognitive function; and electroencephalography to assess electrophysiology.
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Detailed Description
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Dance requires the synergy of physical and cognitive faculties, using the body to communicate and create an aesthetic form of artistic expression, promoting social and emotional interactions. Dancing improves mental wellbeing and fitness, promoting a sense of community, intimacy, enjoyment and self-fulfillment. Krekula's interviews with OA show that age can be challenged through dance, with the ageing body viewed as a 'source of passion', rather than problematic and people feeling younger, which correlates with higher subjective wellbeing.
Although dance can promote health-related benefits in OA, it is recognized that the few studies in the field seem very heterogonous regarding the trial designs, characteristics of the interventions, outcomes assessments, and methodological quality. Additionally, there are a lack of studies reporting the effects of different styles (i. e. creative, ballroom, traditional dances and others) and its intensity on physical function, particularly in OA. From our knowledge, there are limited studies, on OA, characterizing:
1. the intensity of ballroom dance sessions;
2. physical and cardiorespiratory adaptative responses induced by a ballroom dance program;
3. cognitive and psycho-emotional benefits induced by a ballroom dance program. Therefore, in order to recommend dance as a health promoter intervention for OA, it is urgent to evaluate health-related outcomes of a structured dancing community program.
The present project is a community-based intervention. The majority of existing studies on dance focus on specific populations that have been screened for certain conditions, whereas we will encompass a general population of older adults. To our knowledge, there is a lack of information regarding dance sessions characterization, as well as the health outcomes that a group dance intervention can possibly modulate, including cognitive, physical function and psycho-emotional variables. Therefore, the two main research questions behind this project are:
1. What physical exercise intensity can be achieved during dance sessions for older adults?
2. Can a dance-based intervention positively impact physical, cognitive and psycho-emotional health-related outcomes? To address these questions, the present project aims to characterize dance sessions and explore the impacts of a group dance intervention for older adults within the community, with a focus on simultaneously promoting physical, functional, and cognitive capacities. To provide a comprehensive analysis, comparisons will be made with a control group and a multicomponent exercise group, which is one of the most extensively studied exercise interventions for older adults The research will adopt a quantitative quasi-experimental design and will take place in the metropolitan region of Porto, Portugal. The participant pool will include healthy individuals aged 50 and above, recruited through community programs, local municipalities, health centers, and social media platforms via phone calls and informational brochures. Those who consent to participate will be thoroughly informed about the aims and methods of the study. Participation will be voluntary, and all participants will be asked to sign an informed consent form before taking part in the study.
Participants will be randomly assigned to one of three groups:
1. Dance On group (dance intervention).
2. Multicomponent Exercise group (multicomponent physical training).
3. Control group (no engagement in planned physical activities). Screening will be carried out using a comprehensive questionnaire, collecting socio-demographic and health-related information to ensure that participants meet the inclusion and exclusion criteria for each group.
Conditions
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Study Design
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NON_RANDOMIZED
PARALLEL
HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH
NONE
Study Groups
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Ballroom dance Group
Ballroom Dance
The intervention will involve twice-weekly dance sessions, lasting 45 minutes each, for 6 months. Each session will include:
1. Rhythmic warm-up with music.
2. Combination of aerobic, resistance, and coordination exercises.
3. Technical development and learning of dance routines.
4. Cool down with free-body movements to slow music.
Multicomponent Exercise Group
Multicomponent Exercise
The Multicomponent Exercise intervention will target several physical fitness components simultaneously, including strength, balance, and aerobic fitness. The program will consist of twice-weekly sessions, each lasting 45 minutes, for 6 months. Each session will include:
1. Warm-up with light stretching and joint mobility exercises.
2. Balance exercises
3. Strength training exercises
4. Aerobic exercises
5. Cool down with flexibility and relaxation exercises.
control group
Participants from the control group will participate in all assesments moments and will be asked to maintain their usual activities. At the end of intervention period, the contol group will be invited to participate in a physical activity program.
No interventions assigned to this group
Interventions
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Ballroom Dance
The intervention will involve twice-weekly dance sessions, lasting 45 minutes each, for 6 months. Each session will include:
1. Rhythmic warm-up with music.
2. Combination of aerobic, resistance, and coordination exercises.
3. Technical development and learning of dance routines.
4. Cool down with free-body movements to slow music.
Multicomponent Exercise
The Multicomponent Exercise intervention will target several physical fitness components simultaneously, including strength, balance, and aerobic fitness. The program will consist of twice-weekly sessions, each lasting 45 minutes, for 6 months. Each session will include:
1. Warm-up with light stretching and joint mobility exercises.
2. Balance exercises
3. Strength training exercises
4. Aerobic exercises
5. Cool down with flexibility and relaxation exercises.
Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria
* informed consent signed;
* not be institutionalized;
* not participating in any type of physical exercise program in the last 3 months.
Exclusion Criteria
* unstable cardiovascular disease or musculoskeletal dysfunction that makes participation in moderate-intensity exercises impossible
50 Years
ALL
Yes
Sponsors
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Universidade do Porto
OTHER
Responsible Party
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Principal Investigators
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José Magalhães, PhD
Role: STUDY_DIRECTOR
Faculty of Sport, University of Porto
Locations
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CIAFEL
Porto, Porto District, Portugal
Countries
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References
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8- World Health Organization. (2021). Obesity and Overweight. Retrieved July 2023 from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/obesity-and-overweight
6-Nagata, C. d. A., Hamu, T. C. D. d. S., Neri, S. G. R., Lima, R. M., & Garcia, P. A. (2023). Association between isokinetic strength measures and functional performance in community-dwelling older adults. Fisioterapia e Pesquisa, 30, e22014323en
5- Krekula, C., Pleasure and time in senior dance: bringing temporality into focus in the field of ageing. Ageing and Society, 2020: p. 1-16.
Cruz-Ferreira A, Marmeleira J, Formigo A, Gomes D, Fernandes J. Creative Dance Improves Physical Fitness and Life Satisfaction in Older Women. Res Aging. 2015 Nov;37(8):837-55. doi: 10.1177/0164027514568103. Epub 2015 Jan 29.
Krekula C, Arvidson M, Heikkinen S, Henriksson A, Olsson E. On gray dancing: Constructions of age-normality through choreography and temporal codes. J Aging Stud. 2017 Aug;42:38-45. doi: 10.1016/j.jaging.2017.07.001. Epub 2017 Aug 8.
1- Pais-Ribeiro, J. L., Honrado, A., & Leal, I. (2004). Contribuição Para O Estudo Da Adaptação Portuguesa Das Escalas De Ansiedade , Depressão E Stress ( Eads ) De 21 Itens De Lovibond E Lovibond. Psicologia, Saúde & Doenças, 5(2), 229-239.
Rodrigues-Krause J, Krause M, Reischak-Oliveira A. Dancing for Healthy Aging: Functional and Metabolic Perspectives. Altern Ther Health Med. 2019 Jan;25(1):44-63.
Vaccaro MG, Izzo G, Ilacqua A, Migliaccio S, Baldari C, Guidetti L, Lenzi A, Quattrone A, Aversa A, Emerenziani GP. Characterization of the Effects of a Six-Month Dancing as Approach for Successful Aging. Int J Endocrinol. 2019 Jun 17;2019:2048391. doi: 10.1155/2019/2048391. eCollection 2019.
19- Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee, 2018. Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee Scientific Report. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Rehfeld K, Luders A, Hokelmann A, Lessmann V, Kaufmann J, Brigadski T, Muller P, Muller NG. Dance training is superior to repetitive physical exercise in inducing brain plasticity in the elderly. PLoS One. 2018 Jul 11;13(7):e0196636. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0196636. eCollection 2018.
Wilde NJ, Strauss E, Chelune GJ, Hermann BP, Hunter M, Loring DW, Martin RC, Sherman EM. Confirmatory factor analysis of the WMS-III in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy. Psychol Assess. 2003 Mar;15(1):56-63. doi: 10.1037/1040-3590.15.1.56.
Buschke H, Sliwinski M, Kuslansky G, Lipton RB. Aging, encoding specificity, and memory change in the Double Memory Test. J Int Neuropsychol Soc. 1995 Sep;1(5):483-93. doi: 10.1017/s1355617700000576.
Morris JC, Heyman A, Mohs RC, Hughes JP, van Belle G, Fillenbaum G, Mellits ED, Clark C. The Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease (CERAD). Part I. Clinical and neuropsychological assessment of Alzheimer's disease. Neurology. 1989 Sep;39(9):1159-65. doi: 10.1212/wnl.39.9.1159.
Del Rio Joao KA, Becker NB, de Neves Jesus S, Isabel Santos Martins R. Validation of the Portuguese version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI-PT). Psychiatry Res. 2017 Jan;247:225-229. doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2016.11.042. Epub 2016 Nov 28.
Watson D, Clark LA, Tellegen A. Development and validation of brief measures of positive and negative affect: the PANAS scales. J Pers Soc Psychol. 1988 Jun;54(6):1063-70. doi: 10.1037//0022-3514.54.6.1063.
10- Pocinho, M., Farate, C. & Dias, C., (2010). Validação Psicométrica da Escala UCLA-Lonliness para Idosos Portugueses. Interções. 65-77.
Diener E, Emmons RA, Larsen RJ, Griffin S. The Satisfaction With Life Scale. J Pers Assess. 1985 Feb;49(1):71-5. doi: 10.1207/s15327752jpa4901_13.
Other Identifiers
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CEFADE 31_2023
Identifier Type: -
Identifier Source: org_study_id
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