Strengthening social belonging through VR-Based Group dance: a controlled trial with community-dwelling older women

Social belonging is a critical determinant of psychological well-being and healthy aging, yet it often declines among older women due to social, physical, and contextual barriers. Innovative, engaging, and socially meaningful interventions are needed to address social isolation in this population. Virtual reality (VR)-based group dance has emerged as a promising approach that combines physical activity, social interaction, and immersive experience.

A randomized controlled trial was conducted with 94 community-dwelling older women aged 60 years and above, who were randomly assigned to an experimental group (VR-based group dance; n = 47) or a control group (dose-matched light conventional physical activity; n = 47). The intervention lasted 6 weeks, with two sessions per week (20-30 min per session). Perceived social belonging was assessed before and after the intervention using the Sense of Belonging Instrument (SOBI). Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was employed to evaluate between-group differences while controlling for baseline scores.

Both groups demonstrated improvements in perceived social belonging; however, the increase was significantly greater in the experimental group compared to the control group. The VR-based group dance intervention showed a substantially larger effect size, indicating that participation in the combined intervention was associated with greater improvements in social belonging relative to the control condition. These findings suggest that while light physical activity provides modest benefits, the integrated VR-based group dance program was associated with stronger social-psychological gains compared with conventional activity.

VR-based group dance was associated with meaningful improvements in perceived social belonging among older women. By integrating rhythmic movement, shared group experience, and immersive virtual environments, this approach offers a meaningful social-emotional experience that extends beyond traditional exercise. The findings support the use of VR-based group dance as a complementary strategy to promote social well-being and healthy aging in community-dwelling older adults.