Dancing to wellbeing: a three-wave longitudinal mixed-methods study of Rock “n” Roll Dancesport and psychosocial outcomes in Chinese university students
- 1School of Physical Education, Guangzhou University , ,
Abstract
Background: Mental health challenges among university students have intensified globally, with rising anxiety and social isolation reported across diverse educational contexts. These trends demand innovative, accessible, and non-stigmatizing approaches that complement traditional clinical services. This study examined whether participation in Rock “n” Roll Dancesport (Jive and Cha-Cha) was prospectively associated with improvements in self-efficacy, anxiety symptoms, and heart rate variability (HRV) among Chinese university students over 6 months.
Methods: A three-wave longitudinal mixed-methods design was employed. Quantitative assessments were conducted at baseline (T1, n = 152), 3 months (T2, n = 136), and 6 months (T3, n = 131). Measures included the General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES), Social Self-Efficacy Scale (SSES), GAD-7 for anxiety symptoms, and resting HRV. Linear mixed-effects models examined the effects of time, baseline dance frequency group (high: ≥3 sessions/week vs. low: 1–2 sessions/week), and their interaction on each outcome, controlling for age, gender, and academic year. Semi-structured interviews ( n = 32) and 50 + hours of observation explored participants’ lived experiences.
Results: Mixed-effects models revealed significant main effects of frequency group across all outcomes: high-frequency participants showed higher GSES ( β = 3.60, p < 0.001), higher SSES ( β = 8.62, p < 0.001), lower GAD-7 ( β = −2.80, p < 0.001), and higher HRV ( β = 7.64 ms, p < 0.001). Significant Time × Frequency Group interactions indicated that high-frequency participants showed greater improvements over 6 months in SSES (T2: β = 2.40, p = 0.001; T3: β = 2.37, p = 0.001), GSES (T3: β = 0.99, p = 0.007), and HRV (T3: β = 3.10, p = 0.004). Qualitative analysis identified four interconnected experiential themes: rhythmic entrainment as affective catalyst, embodied mastery as a source of self-efficacy, synchronized partnership as a context for trust, and meaning-making as narrative integration.
Conclusion: More frequent Rock “n” Roll Dancesport participation was prospectively associated with improvements in self-efficacy, anxiety symptoms, and HRV over 6 months. The convergence of quantitative trajectories and qualitative narratives supports a directional interpretation consistent with participation temporally preceding psychological gains, while acknowledging that self-selection and reciprocal effects remain plausible. These findings suggest that structured, arts-based physical activities may serve as promising, non-stigmatizing contexts for resource-building among university students.
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BibTeX
@article{he2026dancing,
title = {{Dancing to wellbeing: a three-wave longitudinal mixed-methods study of Rock “n” Roll Dancesport and psychosocial outcomes in Chinese university students}},
author = {Yuanmei He and Jialin Wu},
journal = {Frontiers in public health},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3389/fpubh.2026.1928623},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13674341},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Dancing to wellbeing: a three-wave longitudinal mixed-methods study of Rock “n” Roll Dancesport and psychosocial outcomes in Chinese university students
AU - Yuanmei He
AU - Jialin Wu
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/02
JO - Frontiers in public health
DO - 10.3389/fpubh.2026.1928623
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13674341
AB - Background: Mental health challenges among university students have intensified globally, with rising anxiety and social isolation reported across diverse educational contexts. These trends demand innovative, accessible, and non-stigmatizing approaches that complement traditional clinical services. This study examined whether participation in Rock “n” Roll Dancesport (Jive and Cha-Cha) was prospectively associated with improvements in self-efficacy, anxiety symptoms, and heart rate variability (HRV) among Chinese university students over 6 months. Methods: A three-wave longitudinal mixed-methods design was employed. Quantitative assessments were conducted at baseline (T1, n = 152), 3 months (T2, n = 136), and 6 months (T3, n = 131). Measures included the General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES), Social Self-Efficacy Scale (SSES), GAD-7 for anxiety symptoms, and resting HRV. Linear mixed-effects models examined the effects of time, baseline dance frequency group (high: ≥3 sessions/week vs. low: 1–2 sessions/week), and their interaction on each outcome, controlling for age, gender, and academic year. Semi-structured interviews ( n = 32) and 50 + hours of observation explored participants’ lived experiences. Results: Mixed-effects models revealed significant main effects of frequency group across all outcomes: high-frequency participants showed higher GSES ( β = 3.60, p < 0.001), higher SSES ( β = 8.62, p < 0.001), lower GAD-7 ( β = −2.80, p < 0.001), and higher HRV ( β = 7.64 ms, p < 0.001). Significant Time × Frequency Group interactions indicated that high-frequency participants showed greater improvements over 6 months in SSES (T2: β = 2.40, p = 0.001; T3: β = 2.37, p = 0.001), GSES (T3: β = 0.99, p = 0.007), and HRV (T3: β = 3.10, p = 0.004). Qualitative analysis identified four interconnected experiential themes: rhythmic entrainment as affective catalyst, embodied mastery as a source of self-efficacy, synchronized partnership as a context for trust, and meaning-making as narrative integration. Conclusion: More frequent Rock “n” Roll Dancesport participation was prospectively associated with improvements in self-efficacy, anxiety symptoms, and HRV over 6 months. The convergence of quantitative trajectories and qualitative narratives supports a directional interpretation consistent with participation temporally preceding psychological gains, while acknowledging that self-selection and reciprocal effects remain plausible. These findings suggest that structured, arts-based physical activities may serve as promising, non-stigmatizing contexts for resource-building among university students.
SN - 2296-2565
ER -