Preprint · Mar 6, 2026
Tanz mit! / Dance with us! Proof-of-Concept Health Study on the Psychosocial and Physiological Effectiveness of a Mobile and Inclusive Dance Programme in Salzburg, Austria
By Grebosz‐Haring K, Roth M, Kulnik ST et al.
Background The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends combining regular physical activity and light exercise with mindfulness and participation in cultural activities as an effective way to protect health, improve quality of life, and prevent disease. At the same time, the WHO highlights social inequality as a key factor in unhealthy lifestyles. According to international research, cultural practices such as dance, sports and music appear to be highly effective in promoting long-term health-oriented behaviour, particularly among socioeconomically disadvantaged populations. Our project We have conceptualised 'Dance with us!' as an innovative, mobile, music-based movement programme designed to engage and motivate socially disadvantaged populations, such as women and families with children, older adults, and people with disabilities. Its key features include: (1) an attractive, population-oriented, barrier-free dance offer tailored to the needs of target groups, (2) a mobile platform to reach people directly within their local social environments, and (3) accompanying childcare to engage women and families specifically. The Project Aim, Research Questions and Hypotheses This project aims to examine the feasibility of, and potential psychosocial and physiological effectiveness of a dance-based intervention within these target groups. Our ultimate goal is to use the findings to prepare a larger controlled trial in collaboration with the interdisciplinary project consortium. Our research addresses two key questions: (1) How can dance-based activities contribute to the psychosocial and physical well-being of the target groups? and (2) What barriers to implementation need to be identified to ensure the project's long-term viability? Based on the evidence from current research, we expect dance-based activities to have effects that continue throughout the intervention period and can be considered health-related social capital, with these effects being observed across multiple levels. Methods The programme runs for four weeks in July–August and four weeks in September–October 2025, on three afternoons each week, in and around the Lehen district of Salzburg, which is a socio-economically disadvantaged area. Professional artists, including a choreographer and dancers, design and lead dance-based interventions. We employ a mixed-methods approach, integrating qualitative data (participant observation and semi-structured interviews), quantitative data (health-related questionnaires) and physiological data (heart rate measurements). The quantitative results will estimate the effect size of the psychological and physical changes observed during the assessment period. These results will provide an evidence base for sample size calculations in a subsequent controlled trial. The qualitative results will highlight opportunities and obstacles and necessary adaptations to optimise future implementation.