Improvingself-ratedhealth in adolescentgirlswithdance intervention

Background:

There is an increasing prevalence of psychological health problems among children and adolescents, especially girls. In Sweden, mental illnesssuch as stress and psychosomatic symptoms in adolescentgirls is oneof the most urgent health problems we face. Knowledge of beneficial effects of regular physical activity on mental health are wide spread. Dance is a popular form of exercise also known to increase a sense of self-control which can contribute to reduced stress.

Aim:
To evaluate if creative dance twice weekly during a period of  8 months is effective in influencing self-rated health in girls with psychosomatic and stress symptoms, 13-18 years old.

Inclusioncriteria:

Girls 13-18 years old seekingschoolhealthcare for problems such as
• headache
• pain in the neck, shoulder or back
• stomachache
• sleeping disorders
• stress, depression

Methods:
A RCTwith a long-term follow-up (2 years), carriedout in Sweden. Recruitment was carried out through the school healthcare. A total of 158 adolescent girls with psychosomatic problems and recurrent experiences of stress were enrolled. The subjects were randomized toeither a dance intervention group or controlgroup. Data collection was by questionnaire. The primary outcome was self-rated health (SRH).

Several studies have shown that SRH is a strong predictor for morbidity and mortality. The question “In general would you say your health is”  is regarded as simple, direct and is assessing un-known perceptions and values related to respondents’ health status in a unique manner.  Validity and reliability has been tested [Bjorner J et al. Self-Rated Health – A Useful Concept in Research, Prevention and Clinical Medicine. Swedish council for planning and coordination of research, Report 96:6].

The dance intervention:
The dance intervention was carried out twice a week for 75 minutes. The focus was on the joy of movement and not on performance. The theme varied from african dance, showjazz and hip hop to contemporary dance. Creative elements was included and body awareness and relaxation was always part of the class.

Results:
Complianceto the intervention was70% and 86% attended the study followup. The increase in selfrated health was significantly higher in the dance intervention group compared to the controlgroup at both follow ups (p= .035 and p= .001). See Table. Explanations to this improvement can possibly be that the dancegroup experienced an increase in energy and self-esteem.

Conclusion:
The intervention with dance showed a significant improvement in selfrated health compared to the controlgroup. This suggests that a dance intervention twice weekly for 8 months can be suitable for adolescent girlswith psychosomatic and stress symptoms. Four months after the intervention the improvement still remained.