We found a match
Your institution may have access to this item. Find your institution then sign in to continue.
- Title
Effect of a Community-Based Argentine Tango Dance Program on Functional Balance and Confidence in Older Adults.
- Authors
McKinley, Patricia; Jacobson, Allison; Leroux, Alain; Bednarczyk, Victoria; Rossignol, Michel; Fung, Joyce
- Abstract
Tango-dancing and walking programs are compared in nondemented seniors at risk for falls. Fallers (N = 30) age 62-91 were randomly assigned to a 10-wk (40 hr, 2 hr 2x/wk) tango class or walk group. The Activities-specific Balance Confidence (ABC) scale, sit-to-stand scores, and normal and fast walk were measured pre-, post-, and 1 month postintervention. Two-way repeated-measures ANOVAs indicated a significant main effect (p < .01) for time on all measures. Group and interaction effects for ABC led to improvement only in tango because of high baseline mean for the walk group. Clinical improvements measured using Established Populations for Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly scoring were greater for the tango group. From these preliminary results it is suggested that although both interventions are effective activities for increasing strength and walk speed, tango might result in greater improvements than walking in balance skills and in walking speed in the 10-wk intervention. The study needs to be repeated with a greater sample size to determine the effectiveness of walking on fear of falling.
- Subjects
AGING; EXERCISE for older people; DANCE for older people; AGE factors in well-being; AGE factors in health behavior; PHYSICAL fitness for older people
- Publication
Journal of Aging & Physical Activity, 2008, Vol 16, Issue 4, p435
- ISSN
1063-8652
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1123/japa.16.4.435