Table 1_Dancing to wellbeing: a three-wave longitudinal mixed-methods study of Rock “n” Roll Dancesport and psychosocial outcomes in Chinese university students.docx

Semi-structured interviews (n = 32) and 50 + hours of observation explored participants’ lived experiences.</p>Results<p>Mixed-effects models revealed significant main effects of frequency group across all outcomes: high-frequency participants showed higher GSES (β = 3.60, p < 0.001), higher SSES (β = 8.62, p < 0.001), lower GAD-7 (β = −2.80, p < 0.001), and higher HRV (β = 7.64 ms, p < 0.001). Significant Time × Frequency Group interactions indicated that high-frequency participants showed greater improvements over 6 months in SSES (T2: β = 2.40, p = 0.001; T3: β = 2.37, p = 0.001), GSES (T3: β = 0.99, p = 0.007), and HRV (T3: β = 3.10, p = 0.004).

Qualitative analysis identified four interconnected experiential themes: rhythmic entrainment as affective catalyst, embodied mastery as a source of self-efficacy, synchronized partnership as a context for trust, and meaning-making as narrative integration.</p>Conclusion<p>More frequent Rock “n” Roll Dancesport participation was prospectively associated with improvements in self-efficacy, anxiety symptoms, and HRV over 6 months.

The convergence of quantitative trajectories and qualitative narratives supports a directional interpretation consistent with participation temporally preceding psychological gains, while acknowledging that self-selection and reciprocal effects remain plausible. These findings suggest that structured, arts-based physical activities may serve as promising, non-stigmatizing contexts for resource-building among university students.</p>