{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,2]],"date-time":"2026-10-02T16:53:47Z","timestamp":1790960027518,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":40,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,2]],"date-time":"2026-10-02T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1790899200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Public Health"],"abstract":"\n Background<\/jats:title>\n 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 \u201cn\u201d 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\u202fmonths.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Methods<\/jats:title>\n \n A three-wave longitudinal mixed-methods design was employed. Quantitative assessments were conducted at baseline (T1,\n n<\/jats:italic>\n \u202f=\u202f152), 3\u202fmonths (T2,\n n<\/jats:italic>\n \u202f=\u202f136), and 6\u202fmonths (T3,\n n<\/jats:italic>\n \u202f=\u202f131). 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: \u22653 sessions\/week vs. low: 1\u20132 sessions\/week), and their interaction on each outcome, controlling for age, gender, and academic year. Semi-structured interviews (\n n<\/jats:italic>\n \u202f=\u202f32) and 50\u202f+\u202fhours of observation explored participants\u2019 lived experiences.\n <\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Results<\/jats:title>\n \n Mixed-effects models revealed significant main effects of frequency group across all outcomes: high-frequency participants showed higher GSES (\n \u03b2<\/jats:italic>\n \u202f=\u202f3.60,\n p<\/jats:italic>\n \u202f&lt;\u202f0.001), higher SSES (\n \u03b2<\/jats:italic>\n \u202f=\u202f8.62,\n p<\/jats:italic>\n \u202f&lt;\u202f0.001), lower GAD-7 (\n \u03b2<\/jats:italic>\n \u202f=\u202f\u22122.80,\n p<\/jats:italic>\n \u202f&lt;\u202f0.001), and higher HRV (\n \u03b2<\/jats:italic>\n \u202f=\u202f7.64\u202fms,\n p<\/jats:italic>\n \u202f&lt;\u202f0.001). Significant Time \u00d7 Frequency Group interactions indicated that high-frequency participants showed greater improvements over 6\u202fmonths in SSES (T2:\n \u03b2<\/jats:italic>\n \u202f=\u202f2.40,\n p<\/jats:italic>\n \u202f=\u202f0.001; T3:\n \u03b2<\/jats:italic>\n \u202f=\u202f2.37,\n p<\/jats:italic>\n \u202f=\u202f0.001), GSES (T3:\n \u03b2<\/jats:italic>\n \u202f=\u202f0.99,\n p<\/jats:italic>\n \u202f=\u202f0.007), and HRV (T3:\n \u03b2<\/jats:italic>\n \u202f=\u202f3.10,\n p<\/jats:italic>\n \u202f=\u202f0.004). 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.\n <\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n More frequent Rock \u201cn\u201d Roll Dancesport participation was prospectively associated with improvements in self-efficacy, anxiety symptoms, and HRV over 6\u202fmonths. 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.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fpubh.2026.1928623","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,2]],"date-time":"2026-10-02T16:23:14Z","timestamp":1790958194000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Dancing to wellbeing: a three-wave longitudinal mixed-methods study of Rock \u201cn\u201d Roll Dancesport and psychosocial outcomes in Chinese university students"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"14","author":[{"given":"Yuanmei","family":"He","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Physical Education, Guangzhou University","place":["Guangzhou, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jialin","family":"Wu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Physical Education, Guangzhou University","place":["Guangzhou, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,2]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"623","DOI":"10.1037\/abn0000362","article-title":"WHO world mental health surveys international college student project: prevalence and distribution of mental disorders","volume":"127","author":"Auerbach","year":"2018","journal-title":"J Abnorm Psychol"},{"key":"ref2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"23","DOI":"10.1016\/S2352-4642(19)30323-2","article-title":"Global trends in insufficient physical activity among adolescents: a pooled analysis of 298 population-based surveys with 1.6 million participants","volume":"4","author":"Guthold","year":"2020","journal-title":"Lancet Child Adolesc Health"},{"key":"ref3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1222","DOI":"10.1111\/jcpp.13606","article-title":"Prevalence and associated factors of depression and anxiety symptoms among college students: a systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"63","author":"Li","year":"2022","journal-title":"J Child Psychol Psychiatry"},{"key":"ref4","first-page":"1","article-title":"Effects of dance interventions on aspects of the participants\u2019 self: a systematic review","volume":"9","author":"Koch","year":"2018","journal-title":"Front Psychol"},{"key":"ref5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1179","DOI":"10.1007\/s40279-023-01990-2","article-title":"The effectiveness of dance interventions on psychological and cognitive health outcomes compared with other forms of physical activity: a systematic review with meta-analysis","volume":"54","author":"Fong Yan","year":"2024","journal-title":"Sports Med"},{"key":"ref6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1772542","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyt.2026.1772542","article-title":"Comparative effectiveness of non-pharmacological interventions on depression and anxiety in aging populations: a systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials","volume":"17","author":"Qin","year":"2026","journal-title":"Front Psych"},{"key":"ref7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"46","DOI":"10.1016\/j.aip.2013.10.004","article-title":"Effects of dance movement therapy and dance on health-related psychological outcomes: a meta-analysis","volume":"41","author":"Koch","year":"2014","journal-title":"Arts Psychother"},{"key":"ref8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"101467","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ctcp.2021.101467","article-title":"The effect of dancing interventions on depression symptoms, anxiety, and stress in adults without musculoskeletal disorders: an integrative review and meta-analysis","volume":"45","author":"Salihu","year":"2021","journal-title":"Complement Ther Clin Pract"},{"key":"ref9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"218","DOI":"10.1037\/0003-066X.56.3.218","article-title":"The role of positive emotions in positive psychology: the broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions","volume":"56","author":"Fredrickson","year":"2001","journal-title":"Am Psychol"},{"key":"ref10","first-page":"1","volume-title":"Advances in Experimental Social Psychology","author":"Fredrickson","year":"2013"},{"key":"ref11","first-page":"485","article-title":"Resilience and social support as mediators between positive affect and psychological adjustment among Chinese university students","volume":"102","author":"Wang","year":"2011","journal-title":"Soc Indic Res"},{"key":"ref12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1185","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2014.01185","article-title":"Neurobiological foundations of neurologic music therapy: rhythmic entrainment and the motor system","volume":"5","author":"Thaut","year":"2015","journal-title":"Front Psychol"},{"key":"ref13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"553","DOI":"10.1016\/j.neubiorev.2019.12.024","article-title":"Why do we move to the beat? 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