Effects of a somatic dance course on body image, embodied self-awareness, and disordered eating risk in female university students: a quasi-experimental study
- 1Normal College, Xuzhou University of Technology , ,
Abstract
Introduction: Body image concerns and disordered eating risk are common among female university students, and contemporary frameworks increasingly emphasize positive body image and embodiment. This quasi-experimental, pre-post controlled study examined whether an 8-week somatic-oriented improvisational dance course, delivered as a non-competitive university body education elective and compared with regular university physical education electives, was associated with changes in body appreciation, embodied self-awareness, disordered eating risk, functionality appreciation, and body surveillance.
Methods: A total of 128 female undergraduates were allocated to the somatic dance course or comparison condition (64 per group). Post-intervention questionnaires were completed by 115 participants, and the main attention-check-passing analysis sample comprised 103 participants. Group differences were estimated using ANCOVA models adjusted for baseline scores, with baseline BMI as an additional covariate.
Results: Relative to regular university physical education electives, the somatic dance course was associated with greater post-intervention body appreciation (BAS-2), embodied self-awareness (SBC), and functionality appreciation (FAS) and lower body surveillance (OBCS-BS). Adjusted group differences were statistically significant for BAS-2, SBC, FAS, and OBCS-BS, whereas the group difference in disordered eating risk (EAT-26) was not statistically significant. Exploratory change-score mediation analyses did not support an indirect pathway through change in embodied self-awareness.
Conclusion: The 8-week somatic dance course was associated with short-term group differences in positive body-image and embodiment-related outcomes among female university students. The group difference in disordered eating risk was not statistically significant, and mediation pathways were not supported, indicating the need for rigorous randomized studies with longer follow-up.
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BibTeX
@article{yin2026effects,
title = {{Effects of a somatic dance course on body image, embodied self-awareness, and disordered eating risk in female university students: a quasi-experimental study}},
author = {Jiage Yin},
journal = {Frontiers in psychology},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1933772},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13724601},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Effects of a somatic dance course on body image, embodied self-awareness, and disordered eating risk in female university students: a quasi-experimental study
AU - Jiage Yin
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/19
JO - Frontiers in psychology
DO - 10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1933772
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13724601
AB - Introduction: Body image concerns and disordered eating risk are common among female university students, and contemporary frameworks increasingly emphasize positive body image and embodiment. This quasi-experimental, pre-post controlled study examined whether an 8-week somatic-oriented improvisational dance course, delivered as a non-competitive university body education elective and compared with regular university physical education electives, was associated with changes in body appreciation, embodied self-awareness, disordered eating risk, functionality appreciation, and body surveillance. Methods: A total of 128 female undergraduates were allocated to the somatic dance course or comparison condition (64 per group). Post-intervention questionnaires were completed by 115 participants, and the main attention-check-passing analysis sample comprised 103 participants. Group differences were estimated using ANCOVA models adjusted for baseline scores, with baseline BMI as an additional covariate. Results: Relative to regular university physical education electives, the somatic dance course was associated with greater post-intervention body appreciation (BAS-2), embodied self-awareness (SBC), and functionality appreciation (FAS) and lower body surveillance (OBCS-BS). Adjusted group differences were statistically significant for BAS-2, SBC, FAS, and OBCS-BS, whereas the group difference in disordered eating risk (EAT-26) was not statistically significant. Exploratory change-score mediation analyses did not support an indirect pathway through change in embodied self-awareness. Conclusion: The 8-week somatic dance course was associated with short-term group differences in positive body-image and embodiment-related outcomes among female university students. The group difference in disordered eating risk was not statistically significant, and mediation pathways were not supported, indicating the need for rigorous randomized studies with longer follow-up.
SN - 1664-1078
ER -