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Clinical trial Recruiting at 1 site Interventional Ages 60 to 85

How different amounts of community dance help older adults

Official title: 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

Run by National University of Singapore · NCT07081191 · Data updated 2026-11-12

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

Study typeInterventional
Ages60 Years to 85 Years
SexAll
Enrollment284 (estimated)
SponsorNational University of Singapore
Academic / other
Locations1 site (Singapore)
StatusRecruiting
StartedMay 7, 2025
Main results expectedDecember 2026
Study endsAugust 2027
Registry record updatedJuly 28, 2025
Trial IDNCT07081191 on ClinicalTrials.gov

Is this trial a fit for you?

Likely a 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.

Probably 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.

A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.

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.

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 gone: 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.

Who can join: the full rules

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 it's running

  • Lion Befrienders' Active Ageing Centre
    Singapore, Singapore     Recruiting

Study contacts

Similar studies

Other studies for the same condition or treatment. Recruiting studies are listed first.

How to take part

  1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
  2. Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
  3. Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.
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Last reviewed 2026-11-14 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.