Dance Away The Heartache

A randomised controlled intervention trial with 112 girls (aged 13 to 18 years) with internalising problems had repeat visits to the school nurse for psychosomatic symptoms. They presented in the form of neck, back and/or shoulder, and persistent feelings of tiredness, feeling worried or being in low spirits.

According to Ann Duberg from the Centre for Health Care Sciences, Orebro County Council and Obrebro University in Sweden, the key finding in the study was that girls participating in a dance intervention improved their self-rated health more than those in the control group.

“This effect remained four to eight months after the intervention had ended,” says Duberg. “The results also show high adherence and positive experience, which suggest that the intervention with dance can be suitable for adolescent girls with internalising problems”.

“According to these results, despite problems such as stress and psychosomatic symptoms (and other potential challenges in being an adolescent girl), dance can result in high adherence and a positive experience for the participants, which might contribute to sustained new healthy habits”.

Source: Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine (now JAMA Pediatrics);Nov 2012