A mixed methods exploration of the social and emotional impact of Latin dance and intergenerational programming on community dwelling older adults.
Gianna Simon
Co-Presenters: Shanaylene Fuentes, Shannon Groskoph, Elizabeth Daniskas, Allison Jean-Louis
College: The College of Health Professions and Human Services
Major: Occupational Therapy (M.S.) or (OTD)
Faculty Research Mentor: Victor Camacho
Abstract:
Background: Dance, as a form of physical activity, has benefits for promoting physical and mental health, as well as enhancing the subjective well-being and perceived life satisfaction of individuals across the lifespan. Among different forms of dance, Latin dance holds distinctive social and cultural appeal, offering community engagement alongside health benefits (Liu et al., 2023; Marquez et al., 2022). Intergenerational programs have been found to foster community involvement and enhance social participation through the transactional benefits of interactions between older adults and younger populations (Douse et al., 2020). While research on intergenerational programming has attempted to bridge the gap between community involvement and the physical benefits, it has yet to explore its impact on perceived social and emotional well-being. (Liu et al., 2023).Purpose: This study aims to explore the social and emotional impact of an intergenerational Latin dance intervention on community dwelling older adults through an occupational therapy lens.Methods: This mixed-methods pre/posttest single group design study with an embedded qualitative approach uses the SF-36 quality of life measure and semi-structured interviews to explore the impact of four, 60-minute sessions for an intergenerational Latin dance program on social and emotional well-being in 30 participants aged 62 and older.Results: We anticipate the results of this study to show an increase in quality-of-life measures, specifically in social and emotional domains. We also anticipate codes and themes that reflect positive experiences and further explain quantitative measures following intervention.Conclusion & Significance: These findings would suggest that Latin dance participation and intergenerational programming are suitable interventions for promoting social and emotional well-being of community dwelling older individuals. Through this study we hope to demonstrate the potential of using culturally significant and non-traditional interventions in occupational therapy.Keywords: Latin dance, Older adults, Intergenerational, Well-being, Occupational Therapy