Feasibility of Play-Based Dance to Promote Physical Activity in Second Grade Students

Abstract

ABSTRACT Background Physical activity (PA) is associated with positive health outcomes. However, children’s access to physical activities they enjoy may be limited. Purpose To evaluate second-grader’s PA against the U.S. DHHS goals to see if a before-school, play-based dance program contributed to these goals. Operational feasibility was evaluated using activity trackers to measure minutes and intensity of PA. Methods A SWOT analysis contributed to intervention implementation. Twenty-seven second-graders enrolled in the Intervention or Comparison group and wore activity trackers three days/week for eight weeks. A multivariate analysis of variance was used to determine differences between the PA intensity of the two groups each week. Results All children achieved the U.S. DHHS activity goals. The Intervention group (n =11) averaged 18 more minutes of daily moderate-to-vigorous intensity PA than the Comparison group (n = 10). More girls than boys chose to attend the morning dance, which was implemented for 31 of 50 school days. Discussion Our findings support dance as a feasible PA that contributed to activity goals when designed with health and fitness in mind. Translation to Health Education Practice Certified Health Education Specialists can use a SWOT analysis and activity trackers to assess opportunities to add PA with guided dance.