Dancing to wellbeing: a three-wave longitudinal mixed-methods study of Rock "n" Roll Dancesport and psychosocial outcomes in Chinese university students.

BACKGROUND

Mental health challenges among university students have intensified globally, with rising anxiety and social isolation reported across diverse educational contexts. These trends demand innovative, accessible, and non-stigmatizing approaches that complement traditional clinical services. This study examined whether participation in Rock "n" Roll Dancesport (Jive and Cha-Cha) was prospectively associated with improvements in self-efficacy, anxiety symptoms, and heart rate variability (HRV) among Chinese university students over 6 months.

METHODS

A three-wave longitudinal mixed-methods design was employed. Quantitative assessments were conducted at baseline (T1, n = 152), 3 months (T2, n = 136), and 6 months (T3, n = 131). Measures included the General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES), Social Self-Efficacy Scale (SSES), GAD-7 for anxiety symptoms, and resting HRV. Linear mixed-effects models examined the effects of time, baseline dance frequency group (high: ≥3 sessions/week vs. low: 1-2 sessions/week), and their interaction on each outcome, controlling for age, gender, and academic year. Semi-structured interviews (n = 32) and 50 + hours of observation explored participants' lived experiences.

RESULTS

Mixed-effects models revealed significant main effects of frequency group across all outcomes: high-frequency participants showed higher GSES (β = 3.60, p < 0.001), higher SSES (β = 8.62, p < 0.001), lower GAD-7 (β = -2.80, p < 0.001), and higher HRV (β = 7.64 ms, p < 0.001). Significant Time × Frequency Group interactions indicated that high-frequency participants showed greater improvements over 6 months in SSES (T2: β = 2.40, p = 0.001; T3: β = 2.37, p = 0.001), GSES (T3: β = 0.99, p = 0.007), and HRV (T3: β = 3.10, p = 0.004). Qualitative analysis identified four interconnected experiential themes: rhythmic entrainment as affective catalyst, embodied mastery as a source of self-efficacy, synchronized partnership as a context for trust, and meaning-making as narrative integration.

CONCLUSION

More frequent Rock "n" Roll Dancesport participation was prospectively associated with improvements in self-efficacy, anxiety symptoms, and HRV over 6 months. The convergence of quantitative trajectories and qualitative narratives supports a directional interpretation consistent with participation temporally preceding psychological gains, while acknowledging that self-selection and reciprocal effects remain plausible. These findings suggest that structured, arts-based physical activities may serve as promising, non-stigmatizing contexts for resource-building among university students.