Influencing Adolescent Girls´ With Creative Dance Twice Weekly
Condition: Adolescent - Emotional Problem
Study type: Interventional
Phase: Phase 3

Summary: 
      The aim of this study is to evaluate if creative dance twice weekly can influence girls
      wellbeing. The focus lies on girls 13-18 years old that suffer from repeatedly psychosomatic
      problems and/or stress.

      Specific objectives are

        -  To assess the effect of the dance intervention in reducing psychosomatic problems (such
           as pain in the head, neck, shoulder or stomach), stress and depression

        -  Determine which factors are important for continuing dancing and keeping up new habits

        -  A cost-effectiveness analyse of the health outcome.

      Geographical area: Örebro County (population 276,000)
    

Detailed description: 
      The school nurses asked girls aged 13-18 years old, who searched for psychosomatic problems,
      if they wished to participate in the dance project. Recruitment of girls where also carried
      out in information about the project at parent meetings and in school classrooms. 143 girls
      completed the base-line questionnaire, 138 met the inclusion criteria and were included.
      Randomization was carried out to intervention and control group.

      The quantitative data collection is carried out with a questionnaire. Participants in the
      dance intervention and the control group will response to this questionnaire at 7 times
      during the study, at start and every six months over a total period of 3 years.

      Girls who are found to be at risk of having severe depression (> 34 points) in the depression
      scale CES-DC met with an experienced licensed psychologist. This was to explore if there was
      a need for extended support and help and the girl's parents and Child and Adolescent
      Psychiatric Care was contacted in most cases and if there was a risk for suicide. The results
      from the depression scale at base - line (CES-DC) showed that 81% of the girls in the study
      had depressive symptoms and 29% had high levels of depressive symptoms.

      The qualitative interviews were performed in order to explore the girls experience of the
      dance lessons and to assess if and/or how dance intervention has affected her self-esteem in
      any way. These interviews were conducted on a strategic sample of 20 girls who participated
      in the dance intervention.

      The dance intervention took place in a gym in Örebro twice weekly for a period of 1 year
      under the guidance of two dance class teachers (one at a time). The duration of the class was
      75 minutes and the dance training was always carried out to popular and suitable music. The
      dance choreography was adjusted to the level of the participants' skills in order to make
      them feel successful in their exercise. During the intervention year, the theme of dance
      styles varied from hip hop, jazz, aerobic dance and contemporary dance. African dance, to the
      music of African drums, was used in the warm up section. The dance class always ended with a
      10-min-relaxation training. The dance intervention had a strong focus on emphasizing the
      participants' resources and creates a feeling of affinity. The dance teachers encouraged them
      to listen to signals from the body, reducing focus on the performance and "become part of the
      movement".
    

Intervention name(s): dance group
Intervention type(s): Behavioral
Intervention description(s): The dance intervention took place twice weekly for a period of 1 year under the guidance of two dance class teachers. The duration of the class was 75 min. and the dance training was always carried out to popular music. The dance choreography was adjusted to the level of the participants' skills in order to make them feel successful in their exercise. During the intervention year, the theme of dance styles varied from hip hop, jazz and contemporary dance. African dance was used in the warm up section. The dance class always ended with a relaxation. The dance intervention had a focus on emphasizing the participants' resources and creates a feeling of affinity. Listening to signals from the body, reducing focus on the performance and "become part of the movement" was encouraged.
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary purpose: Treatment
Keywords: dance; intervention; adolescent; girls