Background: Physical activity has a significant effect on older adults, especially on enhancing their quality of life and well-being. More than physical activity, dance integrates music, sensory engagement, emotional expression and social connection, creating a multidimensional environment for aging population. Objective: This study explored whether dance activity habits can acutely improve physical and mental health of middle-aged and older women. A total of 143 healthy middle-aged and elderly women (50-80 years) participated in this study. Network survey of QoL was conducted. QoL of subjects was measured by using the MOS SF-36. All data were analyzed by using the SPSS 26.0 software system. Main ideas: The control group showed significant lower scores in role-physical (64.0±43.1VS.85.6±30.4, p < 0.01), general health (61.2±17.2VS.72.7±18.4, p < 0.01), vitality (72.9±15.7VS.79.1±15.0, p < 0.05) and Physical Component Summary (49.78±0.89 VS.50.23±0.87, p < 0.01) than the dance group. The low-level dance group showed significant lower scores in physical functioning (76.0±21.8VS.88.8±12.7, p < 0.01), role-physical (72.4±39.7VS.94.6±17.1, p < 0.01), role-emotional (72.4±39.7VS.94.6±17.1, p < 0.01) and Physical Component Summary (49.8±0.96VS.50.5±0.69, p < 0.01) than the high-level dance group. Conclusion: These findings highlight the benefits of maintaining dance activity for improving physical and mental health related QoL, especially for physical health. Based on findings of the present study, we recommend that middle-aged and older people could have a regular dance activity at least 150 mins per week to improve their health-related quality of life.
Published in | International Journal of Sports Science and Physical Education (Volume 10, Issue 2) |
DOI | 10.11648/j.ijsspe.20251002.14 |
Page(s) | 62-69 |
Creative Commons |
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited. |
Copyright |
Copyright © The Author(s), 2025. Published by Science Publishing Group |
Dance Activity, Quality of Life, Physical Health, Mental Health, Middle-Aged and Older Women
[1] | Seidler, R. D., Bernard, J. A., Burutolu, T. B., Fling, B. W., Gordon, M. T., Gwin, J. T., et al. (2010). Motor control and aging: links to age-related brain structural, functional, and biochemical effects. Neuroscience and biobehavioral reviews, 34(5), 721-733. |
[2] | Nordenfelt, L. (1994). Concepts and Measurement of Quality of Life in Health Care. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers. |
[3] | Kaplan, R. M., & Hays, R. D. (2022). Health-Related Quality of Life Measurement in Public Health. Annual review of public health, 43, 355-373. |
[4] | American College of Sports Medicine, Chodzko-Zajko, W. J., Proctor, D. N., Fiatarone Singh, M. A., Minson, C. T., et al. (2009). American College of Sports Medicine position stand. Exercise and physical activity for older adults. Medicine and science in sports and exercise, 41(7), 1510-1530. |
[5] | Guthold, R., Stevens, G. A., Riley, L. M., & Bull, F. C. (2018). Worldwide trends in insufficient physical activity from 2001 to 2016: a pooled analysis of 358 population-based surveys with 1·9 million participants. The Lancet. Global health, 6(10), e1077-e1086. |
[6] | Broskey, N. T., Greggio, C., Boss, A., Boutant, M., Dwyer, A., Schlueter, L., et al. (2014). Skeletal muscle mitochondria in the elderly: effects of physical fitness and exercise training. The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism, 99(5), 1852-1861. |
[7] | Drewnowski, A., & Evans, W. J. (2001). Nutrition, physical activity, and quality of life in older adults: summary. The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences, 56 Spec No 2, 89-94. |
[8] | Hopkins, D. R., Murrah, B., Hoeger, W. W., & Rhodes, R. C. (1990). Effect of low-impact aerobic dance on the functional fitness of elderly women. The Gerontologist, 30(2), 189-192. |
[9] | Hui, E., Chui, B. T., & Woo, J. (2009). Effects of dance on physical and psychological well-being in older persons. Archives of gerontology and geriatrics, 49(1), e45-50. |
[10] | Shanahan, J., Coman, L., Ryan, F., Saunders, J., O'Sullivan, K., Ni Bhriain, O., et al. (2016). To dance or not to dance? A comparison of balance, physical fitness and quality of life in older Irish set dancers and age-matched controls. Public health, 141, 56-62. |
[11] | Shigematsu, R., Chang, M., Yabushita, N., Sakai, T., Nakagaichi, M., Nho, H., et al. (2002). Dance-based aerobic exercise may improve indices of falling risk in older women. Age and ageing, 31(4), 261-266. |
[12] | Jaldin, M. A., Balbim, G. M., Pinto, J., Negrete, M., Motl, R. W., Bustamante, E. E., et al. (2024). Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Effects of Dance on Cognition and Depression in Healthy Older Adults. Medicine and science in sports and exercise, 57(3), 490-500. |
[13] | Stickley, T., Paul, K., Crosbie, B., Watson, M., & Souter, G. (2015). Dancing for life: an evaluation of a UK rural dance programme. International journal of health promotion and education, 53, 68 - 75. |
[14] | Fyfe, J. J., Hamilton, D. L., & Daly, R. M. (2022). Minimal-Dose Resistance Training for Improving Muscle Mass, Strength, and Function: A Narrative Review of Current Evidence and Practical Considerations. Sports medicine, 52(3), 463-479. |
[15] | Powell, K. E., Paluch, A. E., & Blair, S. N. (2011). Physical activity for health: What kind? How much? How intense? On top of what. Annual review of public health, 32, 349-365. |
[16] | Ma, H., Wang, A., Pei, R., & Piao, M. (2023). Effects of habit formation interventions on physical activity habit strength: meta-analysis and meta-regression. The international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity, 20(1), 109. |
[17] | Deng, C., Feng, R., & Kong, L. (2019). Square Dance the Key Factor of the Elevating Prevalence of Physical Activity in China. Iranian journal of public health, 48(10), 1920-1921. |
[18] | Qu, Y., Liu, Z., Wang, Y., Chang, L., & Fan, H. (2023). Relationships among Square Dance, Group Cohesion, Perceived Social Support, and Psychological Capital in 2721 Middle-Aged and Older Adults in China. Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland), 11(14), 2025. |
[19] | WHO (2010). Global Recommendations on Physical Activity for Health. Geneva. |
[20] | Ware, J. E. Jr, & Gandek, B. (1998). Overview of the SF-36 Health Survey and the International Quality of Life Assessment (IQOLA) Project. Journal of clinical epidemiology, 51(11), 903-912. |
[21] | Ware, J. E., & Keller SD, K. M. (2005). SF-36 Physical and mental health summary scales: A user's manual. Quality Metric Inc: |
[22] | Lam, C. L., Gandek, B., Ren, X. S., & Chan, M. S. (1998). Tests of scaling assumptions and construct validity of the Chinese (HK) version of the SF-36 Health Survey. Journal of clinical epidemiology, 51(11), 1139-1147. |
[23] | Kattenstroth, J. C., Kolankowska, I., Kalisch, T., & Dinse, H. R. (2010). Superior sensory, motor, and cognitive performance in elderly individuals with multi-year dancing activities. Frontiers in aging neuroscience, 2, 31 [pii]. |
[24] | Fong Yan, A., Cobley, S., Chan, C., Pappas, E., Nicholson, L. L., Ward, R. E., et al. (2018). The Effectiveness of Dance Interventions on Physical Health Outcomes Compared to Other Forms of Physical Activity: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Sports medicine, 48(4), 933-951. |
[25] | Brustio, P. R., Liubicich, M. E., Chiabrero, M., & Rabaglietti, E. (2018). Dancing in the golden age: a study on physical function, quality of life, and social engagement. Geriatric nursing (New York, N. Y.), 39(6), 635-639. |
[26] | Eyigor, S., Karapolat, H., Durmaz, B., Ibisoglu, U., & Cakir, S. (2009). A randomized controlled trial of Turkish folklore dance on the physical performance, balance, depression and quality of life in older women. Archives of gerontology and geriatrics, 48(1), 84-88. |
[27] | Pacheco, E., Hoyos, D. P., Watt, W. J., Lema, L., & Arango, C. M. (2016). Feasibility Study: Colombian Caribbean Folk Dances to Increase Physical Fitness and Health-Related Quality of Life in Older Women. Journal of aging and physical activity, 24(2), 284-289. |
[28] | Lu, J., Abd Rahman, N. A., Wyon, M., & Shaharudin, S. (2024). The effects of dance interventions on physical function and quality of life among middle-aged and older adults: A systematic review. PloS one, 19(4), e0301236. |
[29] | Anokye, N. K., Trueman, P., Green, C., Pavey, T. G., & Taylor, R. S. (2012). Physical activity and health related quality of life. BMC public health, 12, 624. |
[30] | Li, X., Wang, P., Jiang, Y., Yang, Y., Wang, F., Yan, F., et al. (2024). Physical activity and health-related quality of life in older adults: depression as a mediator. BMC geriatrics, 24(1), 26. |
[31] | Timonen, L., Rantanen, T., Timonen, T. E., & Sulkava, R. (2002). Effects of a group-based exercise program on the mood state of frail older women after discharge from hospital. International journal of geriatric psychiatry, 17(12), 1106-1111. |
[32] | Laforge, R. G., Rossi, J. S., Prochaska, J. O., Velicer, W. F., Levesque, D. A., & McHorney, C. A. (1999). Stage of regular exercise and health-related quality of life. Preventive medicine, 28(4), 349-360. |
[33] | Ðošić, A., Živković, D., Milanović, Z., Živković, M., Bjelaković, L., Bratić, M., et al. (2021). The Association Between Level of Physical Activity and Body Mass Index, and Quality of Life Among Elderly Women. Frontiers in psychology, 12, 804449. |
APA Style
Xue, J., Wen, R. (2025). Dance Activity and Health-Related Quality of Life Among Middle-Aged and Older Women: A Cross-Sectional Survey Study in China. International Journal of Sports Science and Physical Education, 10(2), 62-69. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijsspe.20251002.14
ACS Style
Xue, J.; Wen, R. Dance Activity and Health-Related Quality of Life Among Middle-Aged and Older Women: A Cross-Sectional Survey Study in China. Int. J. Sports Sci. Phys. Educ. 2025, 10(2), 62-69. doi: 10.11648/j.ijsspe.20251002.14
@article{10.11648/j.ijsspe.20251002.14, author = {Jingjing Xue and Rou Wen}, title = {Dance Activity and Health-Related Quality of Life Among Middle-Aged and Older Women: A Cross-Sectional Survey Study in China }, journal = {International Journal of Sports Science and Physical Education}, volume = {10}, number = {2}, pages = {62-69}, doi = {10.11648/j.ijsspe.20251002.14}, url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijsspe.20251002.14}, eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijsspe.20251002.14}, abstract = {Background: Physical activity has a significant effect on older adults, especially on enhancing their quality of life and well-being. More than physical activity, dance integrates music, sensory engagement, emotional expression and social connection, creating a multidimensional environment for aging population. Objective: This study explored whether dance activity habits can acutely improve physical and mental health of middle-aged and older women. A total of 143 healthy middle-aged and elderly women (50-80 years) participated in this study. Network survey of QoL was conducted. QoL of subjects was measured by using the MOS SF-36. All data were analyzed by using the SPSS 26.0 software system. Main ideas: The control group showed significant lower scores in role-physical (64.0±43.1VS.85.6±30.4, p p p p p p p p < 0.01) than the high-level dance group. Conclusion: These findings highlight the benefits of maintaining dance activity for improving physical and mental health related QoL, especially for physical health. Based on findings of the present study, we recommend that middle-aged and older people could have a regular dance activity at least 150 mins per week to improve their health-related quality of life. }, year = {2025} }
TY - JOUR T1 - Dance Activity and Health-Related Quality of Life Among Middle-Aged and Older Women: A Cross-Sectional Survey Study in China AU - Jingjing Xue AU - Rou Wen Y1 - 2025/04/29 PY - 2025 N1 - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijsspe.20251002.14 DO - 10.11648/j.ijsspe.20251002.14 T2 - International Journal of Sports Science and Physical Education JF - International Journal of Sports Science and Physical Education JO - International Journal of Sports Science and Physical Education SP - 62 EP - 69 PB - Science Publishing Group SN - 2575-1611 UR - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijsspe.20251002.14 AB - Background: Physical activity has a significant effect on older adults, especially on enhancing their quality of life and well-being. More than physical activity, dance integrates music, sensory engagement, emotional expression and social connection, creating a multidimensional environment for aging population. Objective: This study explored whether dance activity habits can acutely improve physical and mental health of middle-aged and older women. A total of 143 healthy middle-aged and elderly women (50-80 years) participated in this study. Network survey of QoL was conducted. QoL of subjects was measured by using the MOS SF-36. All data were analyzed by using the SPSS 26.0 software system. Main ideas: The control group showed significant lower scores in role-physical (64.0±43.1VS.85.6±30.4, p p p p p p p p < 0.01) than the high-level dance group. Conclusion: These findings highlight the benefits of maintaining dance activity for improving physical and mental health related QoL, especially for physical health. Based on findings of the present study, we recommend that middle-aged and older people could have a regular dance activity at least 150 mins per week to improve their health-related quality of life. VL - 10 IS - 2 ER -