Dance for people with chronic breathlessness: a transdisciplinary approach to intervention development

Abstract

ObjectivesA transdisciplinary research approach was used to develop a holistic understanding of the physical and psychosocial benefits of dance as an intervention for people living with chronic breathlessness.MethodsThe dance programme was developed in collaboration with British Lung Foundation Breathe Easy members in NE England (Darlington) and London (Haringey). Members of the Darlington group were invited to participate in the programme. An exercise instructor, trained and mentored by a dance facilitator delivered 60–90 min dance classes for 10 consecutive weeks. Exercise capacity, mobility, quadriceps strength, health status, mood and interoceptive awareness were assessed at baseline and after the 10-week programme. Second-to-second heart rate (HR) monitoring was conducted during one of the classes.ResultsTen individuals were enrolled (n=8 women). Mean (SD) age was 70 (24); Body Mass Index 29.7 (8.1) kg/m2; one participant used oxygen and one a walking aid. Seven completed the dance programme. Improvements in all outcome measures were detected, with the exception of the Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness, which individuals found hard to comprehend. Eight participants wore HR monitors during one dance class and spent on average 43.5 (21.8) min with HR corresponding to at least moderate intensity physical activity (≥64% HRmax). People found the dance classes enjoyable and those with relevant past experiences who are optimistic, committed to staying well and playful readily adopted the programme.ConclusionA dance programme bringing both physical and psychosocial benefits for people with chronic breathlessness is acceptable when coproduced and evaluated through a transdisciplinary approach.

The Impact of Dance Interventions on Patients with Noninfectious Pulmonary Diseases: A Systematic Review

“…As regards the seven studies included in this systematic review, all were published in the last 3 years [ 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 ], except one [ 33 ], which was published in 2005. Five studies investigated adults [ 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 ], whereas one study investigated children [ 32 ], and one final article investigated a population of people aged 17 years old or older [ 28 ]. All the seven studies were conducted in urban areas.…”

Effects of expressive art therapy on health status of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a community-based cluster randomized controlled trial

“… 52 Resultant improvements to physical fitness include improved exercise capacity and greater strength and balance. 53 Wshah et al 54 confirmed that dance performed twice a week for 8 weeks increased the 6-min walking distance and improved the dyspnoea of patients with COPD. The enjoyment and social connections experienced in dance classes may also play an important role in improving mood and encouraging attendance and completion of the therapy.…”

“…The enjoyment and social connections experienced in dance classes may also play an important role in improving mood and encouraging attendance and completion of the therapy. 53 Therefore, dance effectively improves functional capacity, balance, emotion, anxiety and depression, physical activity and health-related quality of life of both healthy people and those with chronic respiratory disease, 52 , 53 , 55 , 56 whereas music, singing and dancing enhance participation, improve disease management and boost mood and self-confidence, 57 , 58 potentially helping to enhance confidence and reduce psychological symptoms.…”

Enfermedad pulmonar obstructiva crónica y cocción de alimentos con biomasa: Un problema transdisciplinar

“…Programas como el Life Rainbow Programme (LRP) realizan intervenciones de este tipo en pacientes con enfermedades crónicas no neoplásicas, como la EPOC, reportando resultados positivos como mejora significativa de la calidad de vida y disminución la estancia hospitalaria (Law et al, 2020); por otra lado, el desarrollo de un programa de baile como medida de intervención a través de un enfoque transdisciplinar sugiere beneficios físicos y psicosociales en personas con sensación crónica de falta de aire que han de ser corroborados mediante un ensayo clínico aleatorizado (Harrison et al, 2020).…”