Aging & Society: Eighth Interdisciplinary Conference

Abstract

The aim of this study is to explore the influence of social ballroom dancing on the health and well-being of community-dwelling older adults. A qualitative-dominant, concurrent mixed-methods design was utilised. Qualitative data was collected using semi-structured interviews. Quantitative data was collected using clinical outcome measures for physical function, balance, falls risk and well-being over a 12-month period. Twenty-six older adult ballroom dancers were recruited at baseline; twenty-three completed the study. Four qualitative key themes were identified amongst the sample. ‘Active-ageing’, ‘class commitment and congruence’, ‘social dance community’ and ‘enjoyment’, with a common theme of ‘pleasure’ inter-linking these themes. In addition to the current literature, ‘pleasure of practice’ and ‘pleasure of community’ are two types of pleasure suggested. Over the 12-month period there were no significant changes in physical function, balance and wellbeing scales; with 97.5% of recordings within the ‘healthy’ well-being score range. Group scores for falls risk tests were significantly lower than normalised scores for their age group, indicating possible substantive findings for clinical practice. This study demonstrated a low attrition rate and no adverse effects due to ballroom dancing. The findings suggest that ballroom dancing should be promoted by health professionals as a socially inclusive, safe physical activity. Ballroom dancing enhances physical, psychological and social resilience in older adults by resisting age-related physical decline and assisting with acceptance of the ageing body. It also enhances well-being by providing opportunities to experience considerable pleasure and encourages the formation of supportive social communities.