A ballroom dance classroom program promotes moderate to vigorous physical activity in elementary school children

To determine if an existing ballroom dance classroom program meets national recommendations to engage children in moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) for ≥50% of class time and to determine class effects on body mass index (BMI).

Prospective descriptive study. Setting . Two New York City public schools.

Seventy-nine fourth and fifth grade students.

The System for Observing Fitness Instruction Time (SOFIT) and direct heart rate monitoring were used to determine participants' MVPA levels during class time. Weight and height were measured to calculate BMI.

Means were calculated for continuous variables; frequency counts and percentages were calculated for categorical variables. Change in BMI percentiles was assessed by using Bhapkar's χ(2) test of overall marginal homogeneity.

Data from SOFIT observations showed that a mean of 50.0% and 67.0% of class time in the first and second halves of the program, respectively, were spent in MVPA. Data from the heart rate monitoring revealed that 71.1% of students were at ≥25% heart rate reserve, which indicated MVPA for ≥50% of class time. Improvement was seen in BMI percentile (p= .051).

Ballroom dance provides MVPA in elementary school children for ≥50% of class time and has a positive impact on BMI percentiles.