Structured Water Dance Intervention (SWAN) for adults with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities: study protocol.

Background: People with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities (PIMD) have a combination of severe intellectual disability, extensive physical impairment, sensory impairments and medical health problems. There is, however, a lack of evidence-based physical and health-promoting interventions for people with PIMD.

Objective: Structured Water Dance Intervention (SWAN) is a new method developed to fill this gap. This paper reports a protocol for an intervention study which aims to evaluate SWAN with regard to its effects on physiological, psychological and social health-related variables as well as its cost-effectiveness and potential for implementation in health care.

Methods: The evaluation of SWAN is performed in a multi-center randomized crossover study. Data is collected through cortisol measurement, physiological assessments, proxy ratings, video observations and interviews.

Conclusions: This is the first attempt to evaluate rigorously an innovative intervention for people with PIMD, a group that is rarely considered for health promotion interventions. This study will provide important information about the efficacy, cost-effectiveness and potential to implement SWAN in health care.