Waltzing for better quality of life? Comparative assessment of older ballroom dancers in Austria

Abstract Background Ballroom dancing has been repeatedly linked to positive health outcomes in older adults, including those with chronic diseases. To guide future health policy in promoting ballroom dancing as a suitable physical activity in older age (social prescribing), it is essential to understand better the characteristics of current older ballroom dancers. Methods A national survey was conducted in 12 dance schools across all nine Austrian federal states in 2024, including 206 dancers aged 65+ who attended weekly ballroom classes for at least 3 months. Beside detailed analysis of incentives and activity mapping, we compared sociodemographic characteristics and QoL (WHOQOL-BREF) with a representative sample of the Austrian Health Interview Survey (ATHIS) 2019 (65+, n = 3995) using Chi-squared and Wilcoxon rank-sum test and explored associations using linear regression. Results Overall, 75% (n = 155) of dancers started attending classes to increase physical activity, 7% (n = 14) did so on their own initiative due to physical health issues, and 4% (n = 8) followed medical recommendation. Compared to the 65+ ATHIS sample, ballroom dancers were on average younger, less likely to live alone, had higher education, fewer chronic conditions and scored higher on all QoL domains except for the social and psychological domains. As opposed to the general older population, none of the sociodemographic factors were significantly associated with the QoL domain scores of ballroom dancers. Conclusions Ballroom dancing has great potential to be used as a health-promoting intervention. However, this Austria-wide survey revealed that older ballroom dancers have distinct characteristics and currently only a negligible proportion of them use dancing as a therapeutic intervention. To fully realise its health-promoting potentials, social prescribing policies need to actively reach out and improve access to more disadvantaged groups, while dancing schools need to consider implementing suitable offers. Key messages • Ballroom dancers aged 65+ have distinct characteristics and report high levels of quality of life. • Currently the health-promoting potentials of ballroom dancing, especially in the context of social prescribing, are underutilized.