The effects of a dance intervention on somatic symptoms and emotional distress in adolescent girls: A randomized controlled trial

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether a dance intervention for adolescent girls reduces stress-related symptoms. METHODS: This was a randomized controlled trial of an after-school intervention. Participants were 112 girls aged 13 to 18 years with stress-related somatic symptoms and emotional distress. The intervention comprised twice-weekly dance sessions for 8 months with a focus on enjoyment and socialization. A questionnaire was administered at baseline and after 8, 12 and 20 months. Participants rated the frequency with which they had experienced somatic symptoms and emotional distress during the previous 3 months. RESULTS: After the intervention, there was a significantly greater reduction in somatic symptoms and emotional distress in the dance intervention group than in the control group. The difference in the mean score change on a 5-point scale was 0.26 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.04 to 0.47) for somatic symptoms and 0.30 (95% CI: 0.04 to 0.58) for emotional distress. CONCLUSION: Dance interventions may reduce somatic symptoms and emotional distress in adolescent girls, and may constitute a nonpharmacological complement to school health services. However, continued participation is needed for long-term sustainable results. Additional randomized studies are required to further evaluate the effect of this type of intervention in different settings. This study was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov. Study name: ‘Influencing Adolescent Girls With Creative Dance Twice Weekly’. URL: http: //clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/study/NCT01523561. Trial registration number: NCT01523561.