Dance Classes and Physical Activity in Adolescent Girls
Author Information
Author(s): O'Neill Jennifer R, Pate Russell R, Hooker Steven P
Primary Institution: University of South Carolina
Hypothesis
What is the contribution of dance classes to the daily physical activity levels of adolescent girls?
Conclusion
Dance classes significantly increase the amount of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity in adolescent girls.
Supporting Evidence
- Girls engaged in 25.0 minutes of MVPA per day.
- Dance classes contributed 28.7% to girls' total MVPA.
- Girls accumulated more MVPA on program days than non-program days.
Takeaway
Girls who take dance classes move around a lot more on those days compared to days when they don't have dance class.
Methodology
The study used accelerometry to measure physical activity levels over eight days among girls enrolled in dance classes.
Potential Biases
Self-reported dance class schedules may be subject to recall bias.
Limitations
The accelerometer cut-points were not specifically developed for dancing, which may have led to underestimation of physical activity.
Participant Demographics
Participants were girls aged 11 to 18 years, predominantly Caucasian.
Statistical Information
P-Value
<0.001
Confidence Interval
95% CI: 25.9%-31.6%
Statistical Significance
p<0.001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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