The Effect of Aerobic Dance Program on Sustained Attention and Physical fitness of Students University

Abstract

This study examines whether an 8-week aerobic dance program improves sustained attention and physical fitness in university students and whether significant differences exist between the experimental and control groups. Sixty female students from Huanghuai University in China were randomly assigned to either an experimental group (aerobic dance intervention) or a control group (maintaining regular activities). The experimental group participated in an 8-week, moderate-intensity aerobic dance program, with sessions held three times per week, each lasting 60 minutes. The experimental data will be collected for both the experimental and control groups through the Attention Network Test (ANT) and physical fitness tests at three time points: pre-intervention (Week 0), mid-intervention (Week 4), and post-intervention (Week 8). Sustained attention will be measured using the Attention Network Test (ANT), while physical fitness will be assessed according to the standards of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM, 2021), encompassing cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, and body composition. The collected data will be analyzed using paired t-tests, independent t-tests, and one-way repeated measures MANOVA to evaluate differences between the groups.

The research results found significant improvements in both attention and fitness levels in the experimental group, particularly in reaction time and alertness (p < 0.01). Additionally, the experimental group showed notable improvements in the 800-meter run, 1-minute push-up count, and sit-and-reach flexibility (p < 0.01). This study demonstrates that an aerobic dance program positively impacts sustained attention and physical fitness, highlighting its potential as a valuable intervention for enhancing sustained attention and physical fitness in university students.

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