The Effects of Dance Interventions on Depression in Older Adults: A Meta-Analysis

Meta-analyses of the effects of dance on depressive symptoms in older adults have shown contradictory results, but few primary studies were included (5 and 8 studies). We aimed to examine the effects of dance on depressive symptoms in older adults aged 60 years and older and to examine the moderator...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of Applied Gerontology 2023-09, Vol.42 (9), p.2009-2024
Main Authors: Rittiwong, Tanapa, Reangsing, Chuntana, Schneider, Joanne Kraenzle
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Dance
Intervention
Mental depression
Meta-analysis
Older people
Quasi-experimental methods
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Summary:Meta-analyses of the effects of dance on depressive symptoms in older adults have shown contradictory results, but few primary studies were included (5 and 8 studies). We aimed to examine the effects of dance on depressive symptoms in older adults aged 60 years and older and to examine the moderator effects of the source, participants, methods, and intervention characteristics. We included 23 primary studies that compared depressive symptoms across dance and comparison/control groups of older adults (72 ± 6.7 years old) and were written in English (N = 1,398) participants. Dance groups showed significantly less depressive symptoms post-intervention than comparison groups (ES = 0.66, 95% CI [0.42, 0.91], p < .001, I 2 = 76.80%). South America and Australia showed the greatest effects. Using quasi-experimental designs showed significant effect sizes compared to using randomized designs. Only one quality indicator, intention-to-treat, influenced effect size. Dance might be used as an alternative treatment to improve depression.
ISSN:0733-4648
1552-4523
DOI:10.1177/07334648231172357