Effects of Jive Dance Training on Lower Limb Muscle Strength

The Health-promoting Effects of Ballroom Dancing Courses on Lower Limb Strength, Dynamic Balance, Body Composition, and Working Memory of Hospital Employees

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of a structured, partner-free Jive dance training program on the physical and cognitive health of hospital employees. Healthcare workers often face high-stress environments, irregular shifts, and prolonged physical strain, which can lead to reduced muscle strength, poor body composition, and burnout. This study innovates by designing a solo Jive dance intervention to overcome traditional partnership limitations in workplace wellness programs.

A single-group repeated measures design was used, recruiting 20 hospital employees for an 8-week study. The study was divided into Phase A (4 weeks of self-directed group practice) and Phase B (4 weeks of systematic Jive dance training). Comprehensive assessments were conducted at baseline, week 4, and week 8 to measure body composition, lower limb muscle strength, dynamic balance, working memory, and perceived stress.

Study Overview

• Status: Active, not recruiting
• Conditions: Muscle Strength; Postural Balance; Workplace Health Promotion
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Systematic Solo Jive Dance Training

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 20
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Taiwan
  • Taiwan
    • Kaohsiung, Taiwan, Taiwan, 824
      • E-Da Cancer Hospital

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Currently employed as a full-time or part-time staff member at the hospital.
• Aged between 18 and 65 years.
• Voluntarily willing to participate in the 8-week dance program and complete all sequential phases (Phase A and Phase B).
• Mentally and physically capable of performing moderate-to-high intensity structured exercise (such as solo Jive dancing).
• Able to understand the study protocols and provide written informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Pre-existing severe musculoskeletal injuries, severe joint degeneration, or acute pain that restricts dancing or weight-shifting movements.
• Uncontrolled cardiovascular diseases (e.g., severe hypertension, arrhythmia, or unstable angina) that render high-intensity aerobic exercise unsafe.
• Current pregnancy or plans to become pregnant during the 8-week intervention period.
• Undergoing regular professional or competitive athletic training that could introduce significant confounding effects to the physical outcomes.
• Any other medical condition, severe cognitive impairment, or physical limitation judged by the investigator to pose a safety risk during exercise or interfere with data collection.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Prevention
• Allocation: N/A
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Intervention / Treatment

Experimental: Solo Jive Dance Training Group; All participants in this single group will sequentially undergo two distinct phases over an 8-week period. Phase A involves 4 weeks of self-directed group practice, which serves as the comparison stage. This is immediately followed by Phase B, consisting of 4 weeks of a systematic, structured solo Jive dance training program (60 minutes per session) designed to enhance physical and cognitive functions.

Behavioral: Systematic Solo Jive Dance Training; This intervention features an innovative, partner-free "Solo Jive" ballroom dance curriculum designed to overcome the barrier of partner limitations in traditional workplace wellness programs. Distinct from general dance activities, this program is structured into two sequential 4-week phases: a self-directed group practice phase followed by a highly systematic, supervised professional training phase. The core curriculum emphasizes continuous rhythmic tracking, agility, and fast-paced weight-shifting movements characteristic of Jive, focusing heavily on bilateral lower-limb coordination. It is tailored to address healthcare workers' occupational strains, integrating physical neuromuscular training with cognitive-motor engagement (working memory) to provide a dual-benefit intervention for adult workplace populations.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in Bilateral Lower Limb Plantar Flexion Muscle Strength	Lower limb muscle strength (specifically plantar flexion) is measured to evaluate the neuromuscular effects of the systematic Jive dance training. Measurements are taken using a digital handheld dynamometer. The recorded values are expressed in pounds (lbs) to capture quantitative changes. An increase in the measured force values from baseline indicates an improvement in lower limb muscle strength.	Baseline (T0), Week 4 (T4), and Week 8 (T8)

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: E-DA Hospital
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: YU LING HSU, Clinical Dietitian, E-Da Cancer Hospital

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): October 21, 2025
• Primary Completion (Actual): December 12, 2025
• Study Completion (Estimated): July 31, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: June 1, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 6, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): June 11, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): June 11, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 6, 2026
• Last Verified: June 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Other Study ID Numbers: EMRP-114-068

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO
• IPD Plan Description: To protect participant privacy and comply with institutional data protection regulations, individual participant data will not be publicly shared. The findings will be available through aggregated statistical summaries in subsequent research reports.

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No