How different amounts of community dance help older adults
Dose-response Effect of Community Dance Programme on the Physical, Cognitive, Psychosocial Health of Pre-frail and Mildly Frail Older Adults: A Cluster Randomised Trial With Co-design Approach and Process Evaluation
This trial will test whether attending two 75-minute community dance sessions per week helps pre-frail and mildly frail older adults more than one session per week for their physical, cognitive, and psychosocial health.
Quick facts
| Phase | Not applicable |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Enrollment | 284 (estimated) |
| Ages | 60 Years to 85 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | National University of Singapore Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Singapore) |
| Trial ID | NCT07081191 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
This is a cluster-randomised interventional trial using a co-design approach to develop a Community Dance Programme (CDP) following WHO ICOPE guidelines and expert validation. Stakeholders including older adults, centre staff, and dance instructors will take part in focused group discussions to shape the programme, which will then be delivered as either one or two 75-minute sessions per week. Participants will be randomly assigned by cluster to the different dose groups, with physical (CFS, EFS, SPPB, grip strength), cognitive (MoCA, SDMT), and psychosocial (WHOQOL-OLD, loneliness scales, well-being) outcomes measured pre- and post-intervention. Process evaluation and qualitative feedback will be collected alongside outcome measures to understand acceptability and implementation factors.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Ideal candidates are community-dwelling adults aged 60–85 who are pre-frail or mildly frail, can communicate in English or Mandarin, can ambulate with minimal assistance, and can commit to three months with at least 75% attendance.
Not a fit: People with moderate-to-severe frailty, significant cognitive or psychiatric disorders, major sensory impairments, or those unable to attend regular sessions are unlikely to benefit from this intervention.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the programme could improve mobility, thinking, mood, and social connection in pre-frail and mildly frail older adults.
How similar studies have performed: Prior pilot work (NUS-IRB-2020-808) and other dance interventions have shown improvements in quality of life and physical and cognitive measures, suggesting this approach is promising but not yet definitively proven.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Aged 60 to 85. * Able to understand and communicate in either English or Mandarin. * Able to give consent to participate. * Able to commit for three months and able to achieve at least an attendance rate of 75% for the dance program. * Lives within the community setting. * Abbreviated Mental Test (AMT) score\>= 8 * Obtain a score of less than or equal to 7 in Edmonton Frail Scale - Acute Care or less than or equal to 5 in Clinical Frailty Scale * Able to ambulate with minimal assistance * Willing to avoid other physical exercise during the interventional period. * Consent to video and photography of the dance sessions and audio recording of the FGDs. Exclusion Criteria: * Abbreviated Mental Test (AMT) score of less than 8. * A score of more than 7 on the Edmonton Frail Scale - Acute Care or a score of more than 5 on Clinical Frailty Scale * Diagnosed with severe cognitive or psychiatric disorders. * Have severe hearing or vision impairments * Have medical conditions which results in limitation of dancing (e.g. walking aids, wheelchair etc.) * Older adults with serious chronic diseases (e.g. postural hypotension etc.) * Registered in any other dance group during the intervention period
Where this trial is running
Singapore
- Lion Befrienders' Active Ageing Centre — Singapore, Singapore (Recruiting)
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Vivien Wu Xi — National University of Singapore
- Study coordinator: Matilda Heng Wen An
- Email: matilda.heng@u.nus.edu
- Phone: +65 96429745
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.