Dance interventions for individuals post-stroke - a scoping review.

BACKGROUND: There is a growing body of literature assessing the potential benefits of dance for individuals post-stroke. OBJECTIVES: We conducted a scoping review mapping the state of the literature on feasibility, intervention procedures, and efficacy of dance to improve health-related outcomes for individuals post-stroke. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: Included studies were original research that described the use of a dance intervention for individuals post-stroke, included any health-related outcome, and were written in English. SOURCES OF EVIDENCE: Databases selected were Pubmed, Scopus, Google Scholar, Proquest, MedRxiv, and CINHAL. CHARTING METHODS: Two reviewers extracted relevant data and results were organized into themes and categories determined by all authors through discussion. RESULTS: We searched electronic databases were in February 2021. We included 18 publications from 14 studies. Ten were quantitative, five were qualitative, one was mixed-methods, and two were community project descriptions. Twelve publications evaluated in-person dance classes and six evaluated dance exergaming. Based on the limited studies included, evidence suggests dance is a feasible and potentially effective intervention for individuals post-stroke. Studies demonstrate dance may facilitate changes in balance and fall risk, encourage confidence, promote comfort with the changed body, increase rehabilitation motivation, and facilitate community reintegration. Evidence is limited by number of studies, design (lack of control groups and blinded assessments), intervention descriptions, and outcomes reporting. CONCLUSIONS: There is growing interest in dance for stroke interventions. Further research should focus on rigorous study design, optimal intervention timing, consistency of reporting outcomes, key elements of dance classes, and the impact of cultural dance styles.

Results From Estonia's 2016 Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth.

BACKGROUND: The 2016 Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth, the first of its kind, aims to set baseline physical activity (PA) indicators using the Active Healthy Kids Global Alliance grading system. METHODS: A research work group analyzed and selected data for the grade assignment meeting (GAM). During the GAM, 17 leading researchers and policy experts from Estonia assessed the data and assigned grades for each of the 9 PA indicators. In addition, recommendations were provided for further actions to improve the grades. RESULTS: Grades from A (highest) to F (lowest) were assigned as follows: 1) Overall PA (F); 2) Organized Sport (C); 3) Active Play [incomplete data (INC)]; 4) Active Transportation (INC); 5) Sedentary Behaviors (F); 6) Family and Peers (C); 7) School (C); 8) Community and the Built Environment (B); and 9) Government (C). An indicator was marked as incomplete (INC) when there was a lack of representative quality data. CONCLUSIONS: Evidence suggests that PA levels of Estonian children remain very low, despite moderately supportive social, environmental, and regulatory factors. There are many challenges to overcome in supporting and promoting PA of children and youth (eg, cross-sectional cooperation, implementing interventions, changing social norms, empowerment of parents and educational institutions).

Bone Mineral Density in Elite DanceSport Athletes.

This study compared bone mineral density (BMD) variables of female and male elite dancesport athletes with untrained control subjects of the same gender. Sixty-six elite dancesport athletes (M 33, F 33) and 64 untrained controls (M 34, F 31) participated in this study. Elite dancesport athletes were dancing couples competing at the international level. Whole-body bone mineral content and whole-body, forearm, lumbar-spine, and femoral-neck BMD, as well as whole-body fat mass and fat free mass, were measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. There were no differences (p>0.05) in height and body mass between dancers and controls of the same gender, but percent body fat was lower (p<0.05) in dancers of both genders than in untrained controls. Elite dancesport athletes had significantly higher femoral-neck BMD, and male dancers also higher whole-body BMD values when compared with controls of the same gender. All other measured bone mineral values did not differ between the groups of the same gender. In addition, training experience was positively correlated with whole-body BMD (r=0.27; p<0.05) in dancesport athletes. Based on this study, it can be concluded that elite dancesport athletes have higher BMD values at the weight-bearing site (femoral-neck BMD), while other measured areas and whole-body bone mineral values do not differ from the corresponding values of healthy sedentary controls of the same gender. According to our results, low BMD is not an issue for elite female dancesport athletes, despite their lower percent body fat values.

Spinal posture in different DanceSport dance styles compared with track and field athletes.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: In DanceSport, athletes train for many years to develop a very specific posture. Presently there are few data as to whether these adaptations are habitual or cause permanent anatomical changes to the spine. The aim of the current study was to evaluate lumbar lordosis and thoracic kyphosis of the international level DanceSport dancers using track and field athletes as controls. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty competitive DanceSport couples (15 men aged 23.4±6.6 years; 15 women aged 22.5±6.4 years) and 29 track and field athletes (16 mean aged 27±4.4 years and 13 women aged 22±4.1 years) volunteered. Twelve couples were Standard, 7 Latin American and 11 were Ten Dance couples. Thoracic kyphosis and lumbar lordosis angle were assessed in lateral view using a Vertebral Fracture Assessment scan. RESULTS: DanceSport athletes had smaller S-shaped vertebral curvatures compared to track and field athletes. Male (5.7±4.7°) and female dancers (8.7±5.9°) had significantly smaller lumbar lordosis angle compared to their track and field counterparts (22.3±9.9° for men; 20.3±5.9° for women). Female dancers (25.3±8.0°) also demonstrated significantly smaller thoracic kyphosis angle than female track and field (32.1±8.9°) participants. It was further revealed that female Latin American dancers had significantly smaller lumbar lordosis values (3.7±3.1°) compared with female Standard (10.7±6.1°) and Ten Dance dancers (9.7±5.5°). CONCLUSIONS: The results of the present study suggest that smaller S-shaped vertebral curvatures of DanceSport athletes compared with track and field athletes are permanent changes rather than habitual.