The Lifetime Dance Exposure Questionnaire for Professional Training: Survey Development and Reliability Study.

Area of Science:

• Behavioral Science
• Dance Studies
• Public Health

Background:

• Dance is a complex behavior and art form with participation across the lifespan.
• Reliable questionnaires are needed to study lifetime participation in dance behavior.
• Previous research lacks validated tools for assessing long-term dance engagement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and test the reliability of a self-report, online questionnaire for adults.
• To assess lifetime participation in professionally led dance classes.
• To provide a tool for quantifying dance training exposure across different life stages.

Main Methods:

• Community-dwelling adults (N=373) completed the Lifetime Dance Exposure Questionnaire for Professional Training (LDEQ-T).
• Test-retest reliability was assessed over an 8-week delay for frequency, duration, and intensity.
• Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) and kappa statistics were used for analysis.

Main Results:

• The LDEQ-T showed good reliability for years of professional dance training (ICC range 0.83-0.94 for homogenous, 0.70-0.96 for variable exposure).
• Reliability was found for dance training frequency and duration (kappa range 0.35-0.61 for homogenous, 0.32-0.56 for variable exposure).
• Reliability for physical activity intensity measures varied.

Conclusions:

• The LDEQ-T is a reliable instrument for quantifying lifetime professional dance training exposure in adults.
• The questionnaire is suitable for adults with low, homogenous, or variable dance exposure.
• Researchers can utilize the LDEQ-T to surveil dance training across childhood, adolescence, and adulthood.