Effects of a somatic dance course on body image, embodied self-awareness, and disordered eating risk in female university students: a quasi-experimental study
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Clinical Trial
Abstract: Introduction: Body image concerns and disordered eating risk are common among female university students, and contemporary frameworks increasingly emphasize positive body image and embodiment. This quasi-experimental, pre-post controlled study examined whether an 8-week somatic-oriented improvisational dance course, delivered as a non-competitive university body education elective and compared with regular university physical education electives, was associated with changes in body appreciation, embodied self-awareness, disordered eating risk, functionality appreciation, and body surveillance. Methods: A total of 128 female undergraduates were allocated to the somatic dance course or comparison condition (64 per group). Post-intervention questionnaires were completed by 115 participants, and the main attention-check-passing analysis sample comprised 103 participants. Group differences were estimated using ANCOVA models adjusted for baseline scores, with baseline BMI as an additional covariate. Results: Relative to regular university physical education electives, the somatic dance course was associated with greater post-intervention body appreciation (BAS-2), embodied self-awareness (SBC), and functionality appreciation (FAS) and lower body surveillance (OBCS-BS). Adjusted group differences were statistically significant for BAS-2, SBC, FAS, and OBCS-BS, whereas the group difference in disordered eating risk (EAT-26) was not statistically significant. Exploratory change-score mediation analyses did not support an indirect pathway through change in embodied self-awareness. Conclusion: The 8-week somatic dance course was associated with short-term group differences in positive body-image and embodiment-related outcomes among female university students. The group difference in disordered eating risk was not statistically significant, and mediation pathways were not supported, indicating the need for rigorous randomized studies with longer follow-up.
Source: Frontiers in Psychology
Author: Jiage Yin
Institution: Xuzhou University of Technology
Language: English
Subfield: Clinical Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,801
OpenAlex ID: W7222936123