title: Effectiveness of a flamenco and sevillanas program to enhance mobility, balance, physical activity, blood pressure, body mass, and quality of life in postmenopausal women living in the community in Spain: a randomized clinical trial.
abstract: This study aimed to test the effectiveness of a dance therapy program in improving mobility, balance, physical activity, blood pressure (BP), body mass, and quality of life in postmenopausal women in Spain.
  
  
  
  Fifty-two sedentary postmenopausal women (mean age 69.27 ± 3.85 y) were randomly assigned to receive either dance therapy (n = 27) or self-care treatment advice (n = 25). The intervention group participated in 2 months of dance therapy, three sessions weekly, based on Spanish folk dance (flamenco and sevillanas). The control group was provided a booklet containing physical activity recommendations. Mobility, balance, physical activity, BP, body mass, and quality of life were assessed at baseline and posttreatment in both groups. Statistical analysis was performed using a 2 × 2 analysis of variance (ANOVA).
  
  
  
  Women in the intervention group showed significant improvements in mobility and balance (timed up-and-go test [P = 0.022], cognitive timed up-and-go [P = 0.029], and one-leg stance test results [P = 0.001]), physical activity (total time index [P = 0.045], energy expenditure [P = 0.007], vigorous physical activity [P = 0.001], leisure activity [P = 0.001], moving [P < 0.001], and activity dimension summary [P = 0.001]), and fitness (overall fitness [P = 0.039], cardiorespiratory fitness [P < 0.001], speed-agility [P = 0.001], and flexibility [P = 0.007]) compared with those in the control group. No differences were observed in BP, body mass, or quality of life.
  
  
  
  Spanish dance therapy may be effective to improve mobility, balance, and levels of physical activity and fitness in sedentary postmenopausal women.
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Physical Therapy 2Department of Biostatistics 3Department of Physiology, Faculty of Health Sciences 4Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria Granada (IBIS.Granada), University of Granada (UGR), Spain.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Serrano-Guzmán
authors.forename: María Encarnación
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Aguilar-Ferrándiz
authors.forename: Carmen Marie
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Valenza
authors.forename: Francisco Manuel
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Ocaña-Peinado
authors.forename: Gerald
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Valenza-Demet
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Villaverde-Gutiérrez
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003614:Dance Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D003615:Dancing / Q000502:physiology*; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010809:Physical Fitness; D017698:Postmenopause; D004856:Postural Balance; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011788:Quality of Life; D012648:Self Care / Q000379:methods; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D013030:Spain