Background As the U.S. population ages, identifying accessible, community-based approaches that promote older adults' physical and psychosocial well-being is increasingly important. Recent studies have shown that dance interventions can improve physical fitness and cardiovascular health among older adults. Line dancing, a widely practiced group activity, may offer benefits that extend beyond recreation. Guided by Self-Determination Theory (SDT) and the Sense of Community (SOC) framework, this study explored how older adults experience line dancing as a form of health-motivated engagement.Methods Eight older adults (aged 65-83; seven women and one man) who regularly attended community line dancing classes at two senior centers in College Station, Texas, participated in semi-structured, in-person interviews. Data were analyzed using a phronetic iterative approach.Results Six themes were identified for autonomy, three for competence, and three for relatedness across individual and community levels. Participants experienced autonomy through self-directed engagement in dance, including lifelong passion, ongoing learning, and leadership within dance groups. Competence was reflected in skill confidence and bodily self-awareness, supported by peer recognition and opportunities to contribute to the group. Relatedness emerged through collective emotional resonance, interpersonal bonding, and a strong sense of community belonging. Together, these experiences fostered vitality, purpose, and sustained participation, demonstrating how line dancing fulfilled older adults' basic psychological needs while strengthening community connections.Conclusions Community line dancing supports self-determined, socially connected, and adaptive engagement among older adults. By integrating SDT and SOC, this study provides insights into how community-based dance programs can promote healthy aging and social well-being.
Background The experience of living with chronic pain is difficult to understand and discuss in clinical communication, especially in the context of the strong biomedical orientation in Western healthcare. This article discusses how research on metaphors in chronic pain discourses was used to develop conversation cards with pictorial renditions of images describing pain, in collaboration with healthcare professionals and patients. With these cards, we aim to provide a support tool to more comprehensively discuss the lived experience of chronic pain in clinical communication.Methods We conducted 8 online focus groups with chronic pain patients and healthcare professionals working in pain care. The meaning and usability of several concept illustrations in healthcare practice were explored.Results The focus groups gave insights into required levels of transparency of the images. This concerned both the conventionality of the metaphors themselves and the degree of abstraction in the visual representation. The effect of style, tone, colour, texture and various representational approaches was also explored. Finally, we examined how participants perceived the potential use of these images within healthcare settings. However, such a process of participation and co-creation, we found, also requires careful reflection and consideration on representation, empowerment and the balance between artistic voice, scientific evidence, and participants' input.Conclusions These insights informed the development of the complete series of illustrations and their specific applications, while requiring careful reflection on the process.
BACKGROUND:Returning to work (RTW) after cancer is a complex process, influenced by psychosocial, emotional, and workplace factors. In Singapore, these challenges may be further compounded by cultural expectations and limited public discourse on chronic illness and disability. This paper reflects on Right to Work, an applied theatre (AT) pilot programme exploring performative storytelling with cancer survivors as an immersive advocacy initiative to promote workplace inclusion. METHODS:The programme comprised six AT workshops with cancer survivors, cumulating in two engagement sessions with workplace administrators, where survivors presented original monologues developed through the workshop process. Drawing on participant's feedback, the paper reflects on the creative processes of storytelling, rehearsal, witnessing and performance. FINDINGS:Three practice insights are discussed: embodied storytelling as a means of fostering connection, structured creative processes as a way of engaging with vulnerability and meaning-making, and advocacy as a relational and ongoing process. CONCLUSION:The paper positions AT as a valuable approach for fostering understanding of survivorship experience and RTW.
BACKGROUND:End-of-life decision-making is often avoided due to societal taboos. This study aimed to foster reflection on mortality through the Threads of Time interactive installation, using the theme of time to engage participants in considering end-of-life issues. METHODS:The art installation was presented at two public events. Attendees anonymously responded to the prompt "What is time at the end-of-life?" by writing on paper tags. A total of 221 tags (63 from the first event, 158 from the second) were collected. Responses were analyzed using inductive qualitative coding to identify key themes. RESULTS:Four primary themes emerged: Philosophical Reflections on Death and Time, Embracing Purposeful Time, Self-Affirmation and Personal Reflections, and Grief. Themes were consistent across both events, though age-related differences in temporal focus were observed. CONCLUSIONS:The Threads of Time installation stimulated public reflection on end-of-life topics, highlighting its potential as a tool to support dialogue and awareness in supportive care contexts.
