A Quasi-experimental study to assess the effectiveness of dance movement therapy on cognitive functioning, sleep quality, and loneliness among elderly residents in selected old age homes in Udupi taluk

Background

Dance therapy is becoming more popular as a non pharmacological way to improve older individuals’ emotional, mental, and physical health Studies show that dance therapy especially for older adults can result in notable gains in psychological well-being cognitive function and motor performance Several studies have highlighted the positive impact of dance therapy on cognitive functioning in older adults

For instance dance interventions have been shown to improve global cognition executive function and memory

Dancing and other group workouts encourage social interaction, which benefits patients of all ages and suggests dancing as a universal treatment modality

However the short-term nature of recent studies and the lack of trials on large  representative samples necessitate additional investigation

There are multifaceted benefits of dance therapy this study aims to assess its effectiveness on cognitive functioning sleep quality and loneliness among elderly residents in selected old age homes in Udupi taluk

By evaluating these outcomes, the study seeks to determine whether dance therapy can be a valuable intervention for enhancing the overall well-being of the elderly population in these settings

Aims and Objectives

·        to assess the cognitive functioning among elderly residents in selected old age homes of Udupi taluk using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment

·        to evaluate the sleep quality in elderly residents using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index

·        to assess the loneliness experienced by elderly residents using the and UCLA loneliness scale

·        to determine the effectiveness of dance therapy on cognitive functioning, sleep quality, and loneliness among the elderly residents

Methodology

Research Design- A Quasi experimental research design

Sample size: 76 Participants

38 each in control and interventional groups

Statistical methods

The categorical data will be described using percentages and frequency tables. Following an evaluation of the skewness, the mean and standard deviation or median and interquartile range will be used to characterize the quantitative variables in the research. To help with the results across groups, parametric tests such as the one-way ANOVA and the two-sample independent t-test will be employed. If the homogeneity of variance and normality assumptions are broken, appropriate non-parametric tests will be employed. The researcher will also be able to comprehend correlations between numerical variables and connections between categorical variables by using correlation and chi-square tests, respectively. Additionally, the major outcome throughout the whole sample will be evaluated using repeated measures (or its non-parametric variations, such as Aligned Rank Transformation ANOVA), subject to assumption violations. ANOVA will be used to assess the primary outcome across the two time points and two groups.

All statistical analyses will be carried out using Jamovi 2.3.28 software (a free graphical interface for R programming)

Tools:

Tool1 Demographic Proforma

Tool2  Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) Scale

Tool3 Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI)

Tool4 UCLA Loneliness Scale.

Tool5 Geriatric Depression Scale (For Screening)

Pretest and post test will be conducted before and after the intervention.