The Effects of the BAILAMOS TM Dance Program on Physical Activity Levels and Cognition of Older Latino Adults: A Pilot Study.

Objective: To investigate the effects of the BAILAMOS^TM dance program on physical activity (PA), cardiorespiratory, and cognitive health. Methods: A parallel, two-armed pilot study was conducted with 57 older Latinos randomized to the BAILAMOS^TM dance program (n = 28) or health education (HE) (n = 29). We conducted two- and three-way repeated-measures ANOVAs. Results: BAILAMOS^TM participants increased participation in leisure moderate-to-vigorous PA (LMVPA) (F [1,53] = 3.17, p =.048, η ² _G =.01) and performance in global cognition relative to HE participants (F [1,52] = 4.19, p =.045, η ² _G =.01). Attendance moderated increases in moderate PA, MVPA, LMVPA, and total PA (p <.05). Participants of both groups with ≥75% attendance increased participation in PA. Among participants with <75% attendance, BAILAMOS^TM participants increased PA relative to HE. Discussion: BAILAMOS^TM positively impacted self-reported PA and global cognition in older Latinos. Even smaller doses of dance appear to impact self-reported PA levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]