The effectiveness of community dance in people with cancer: a mixed-methods systematic review and meta-analysis.

There is a need for both feasible and enjoyable physical activity programmes for people on a cancer journey. Emerging evidence suggests that dance can have a positive effect on health and well-being in this cohort. We aimed to synthesize the quantitative and qualitative literature exploring the effectiveness and impact of community dance interventions in people with all types and stages of cancer. A systematic search was performed following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines in Pubmed, EMBASE, Medline Ovid, CINAHL and PEDro databases. Quantitative and qualitative data were extracted and synthesized using a convergent segregated approach. The numeric data were analysed using descriptive statistics, narrative synthesis and meta-analysis where possible. The qualitative data were analysed using thematic analysis. The Downs and Black critical appraisal tool and the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme were used to assess the quality of the quantitative and qualitative literature, respectively. Eighteen studies were included in this mixed-methods review with seven trials included in the meta-analysis. Statistically significant improvements were found in favour of community dance for functional capacity, fatigue, quality-of-life and depression in comparison to no intervention. Evidence suggests dance is a safe and feasible form of physical activity both during and after cancer treatment. Participants reported good social support, education regarding physical activity and local access as key facilitators to participation. We concluded that dance is a feasible and enjoyable intervention for many people with various forms of cancer. Community dance programmes can improve both physical and psychological outcomes in people on a cancer journey.

The role of the arts in enhancing data literacy: A scoping review protocol.

Data literacy has been defined as "the ability to read, work with, analyze and argue with data". The United Nations has highlighted a growing risk of inequality for people excluded from the new world of data by lack of education, language, poverty, and discrimination and has called for the development of data literacy at all levels of society. Responses to data are shaped by personal, social and cultural influences, as well as by trust in the source. The arts can play an important role in regulating our responses to information and increasing accessibility, engagement and sense-making of data. However, to our knowledge, to date, there has been no comprehensive review of publications on the role of the arts in the context of data literacy. This paper presents a protocol and a methodological framework to perform a scoping review to identify and map the available evidence for the role of the arts in enhancing data literacy. The review aims to provide an overview of research over the past twenty years to develop a clearer understanding of (a) which art forms are represented in the literature (b) which population groups and settings are identified (c) and the rationale for using the arts to enhance data literacy.

A scoping review of the use of music as an arts-based method in migrant health research.

Background: There is a growing awareness of the need to include people's lived experiences in health decision-making. While much progress has been made in this field, exclusionary patterns persist regarding migrant participation in health research. The aim of this scoping review was to examine the available literature around the use of music as an arts-based research (ABR) method in migrant health research in order to extend knowledge of creative methods and tools used for migrant participation in health research. Methods: Our review follows a scoping review methodology. Searches were conducted in 11 electronic databases between June and August, 2020. We identified 14 eligible references published between January 2009 and August 2020. We analysed how music is utilised as an arts-based research method in community-based health and wellbeing contexts primarily with refugees, asylum seekers, undocumented migrants, and members of resettled immigrant communities. Results: The findings show that music's role is most prominent as a tool for recruitment and engagement followed by its use as a tool for dissemination. Music is effective as a means to co-produce and communicate knowledge of lived experiences of migration and related wellbeing issues. Recommendations and conclusions: Our recommendations for further research include the need for increased detail on the musical element in ABR projects; Explicit identification of such research as ABR; Greater recognition of a multi-arts understanding of music in the context of ABR; Harnessing the potential of music in ABR across the research cycle. We conclude that arts-based research using music shows promise for capturing the complexity of migrants' lives and health issues in an ethical way. It warrants further investigation in empirical studies in multiple clinical and community settings to understand its processes and impacts on the evidence base for migrant health.

An evaluation of training using singing as a tool for community building in changing societies.

This article investigates lived experiences of participation in a training programme entitled 'Singing as a Tool for Community Building in Changing Societies', facilitated by Musicians Without Borders (MWB) and coordinated in partnership with the Health Research Institute PART-IM (Participatory and Arts-Based Methods for Involving Migrants in Health Research) research cluster at the University of Limerick. The aim of this qualitative study is to enhance understanding of participant experience regarding programme delivery, skill acquisition and community building. The research methodology uses an ethnographic framework. Data collection approaches included participant observation, author fieldnotes, individual semi-structured interviews, and an anonymous, post-training, feedback questionnaire. Thematic analysis of the data resulted in three key themes: the importance of expert facilitation; culturally aware contextualizing and conceptualizing of singing; and professional, whole-person support. These themes were cross-referenced against the research categories of delivery, skill and community building. The findings propose the importance of experienced, expert facilitators, contextualized understandings of diverse artistic traditions delivered by a culturally diverse team, and attention to the whole-person needs of both facilitators and participants. This research enhances understanding of participant experiences of arts-based training programmes in singing and the potential application of this learning for using singing as an arts-based research (ABR) method in migrant health research.

Research prioritization in migrant health in Ireland: toward a participatory arts-based paradigm for academic primary care.

Context: People are experts in their own health and need to be involved in health-related decisions, including decisions about what issues should be researched. Underserved communities, such as refugees and migrants, are often excluded from having a voice in relation to their priorities for health research. To avoid tokenistic participation, it is important to develop and test innovative methodologies that are culturally attuned and that can offer 'whole person' (affective, creative and cognitive) engagement. The Participatory Irish World Music Café, first developed in the context of the Irish Refugee Protection Programme in 2015, uses music and singing to develop inclusive, social and creative spaces to support social integration. It has been adapted during COVID-19 as an on-line café. While the café has sustained a strong community presence for five years, its potential adaptation and use to support research health prioritisation processes is unknown. Objective: Explore the use of an on-line, participatory Irish World Music Café to generate research priorities about migrant health in Ireland. Study Design: Participatory health research study co-designed with community partners, using a qualitative ethnographic and arts-based framework. Data from six 1.5 hour on-line cafes includes interviews, focus groups and arts-based documentation generated during the cafes. Analysis follows principles of thematic analysis. Setting or Dataset: Community-based participatory study in Ireland Population studied: Refugees, migrants, primary care providers, national health service planners, artists and academics working in the field of migrant health (n=25) Intervention/Instrument (for interventional studies): n/a Outcome Measures: n/a. Results: Analysis is underway and will describe participants' shared and differential experiences of (i) the research prioritisation sessions with particular attention to their experience of using music and other artistic practices (ii) cultural attunement and whole person engagement and (iii) generating identified research priorities. Conclusions: Findings will inform the evidence base about music as an arts-based method to support a new, inclusive participatory arts-based paradigm for migrants' involvement in research prioritisation. The work will be disseminated in Ireland and in the 53 Member States of the WHO Euro region.

The use of music as an arts-based method in migrant health research: a scoping review protocol.

There is increasing recognition that people's lived experience needs to be incorporated into health decision-making. This has led to rising imperatives for involving the public in health processes, including research. While there have been significant advances in the field, patterns of exclusion still exist in some areas, including migrant participation in health research. Migration and mobility create challenges around social inclusion and this extends to social and cultural practices used in research. There is an emerging body of literature about improving meaningful, participatory spaces for migrants' involvement in health research using creative tools and techniques that are attuned to cultural diversity. These include the use of arts-based research methods. There is strong evidence for the use of music, particularly singing, as an effective arts-based participatory tool . The goal of this scoping review is to investigate the evidence for the use of music as an arts-based method in migrant health research. Developed by an interdisciplinary team specialising in public and patient involvement; nursing and midwifery; primary health care; and the performing arts, it aims to analyse existing evidence across disciplines that are not usually studied together, identify gaps in current knowledge and use these as a foundation to build effective strategies towards increasing access to and knowledge of participatory, arts-based methods using music in migrant health research. Methods: The protocol for this scoping review follows the guidelines and stages set out in the JBI Reviewer's Manual ( Peters et al., 2017), and by Levac et al, (2010), which build on the methodological framework of Arksey and O'Malley (2005). This incorporates six stages: 1) Identifying the research question; 2) Identifying relevant studies; 3) Study selection; 4) Charting the data; 5) Collating, summarising, and reporting results; and 6) Consultation.