Seated Tai Chi versus usual activities in older people using wheelchairs: A randomized controlled trial.


Author: Hsu CY, Moyle W, Cooke M, Jones C

Affiliation: 1Centre for Health Practice Innovation, Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia; Department of Nursing, Dayeh University, Changhua, Taiwan. Electronic address: chen-yuan.hsu@griffithuni.edu.au. 2Centre for Health Practice Innovation, Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia; School of Nursing and Midwifery, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia. Electronic address: w.moyle@griffith.edu.au. 3Centre for Health Practice Innovation, Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia; School of Nursing and Midwifery, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia. Electronic address: m.cooke@griffith.edu.au. 4Centre for Health Practice Innovation, Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia. Electronic address: c.jones@griffith.edu.au.
Conference/Journal: Complement Ther Med.
Date published: 2016 Feb
Other:
 Volume ID: 24   ,  Pages: 1-6   ,  Special Notes: doi: 10.1016/j.ctim.2015.11.006. Epub  2015 Dec 2.   ,  Word Count: 179  
    OBJECTIVE: Compare the effect of seated Tai Chi exercise (intervention) to usual activities on quality of life and depression symptoms in older people using wheelchairs.



DESIGN: Randomized controlled trial.



SETTING: One long-term care facility in Taiwan.



PARTICIPANTS: 86 long-term care residents were screened; 60 were eligible and randomized to Tai Chi group (n=30), or usual activity (n=30).



INTERVENTION: One certified trainer provided the intervention group with 40min of seated Tai Chi exercise, three times a week for 26 weeks. Trial registration ACTRN12613000029796.



MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Quality of Life (WHOQOL (BREF)); depression symptoms (GDS-SF) RESULTS: Participants in the Tai Chi group (M=3.76, SD=3.65) recorded significantly lower GDS-SF scores than participants in the control (M=7.76, SD=5.15) and the Tai Chi group registered significantly higher scores across overall QOL [p=0.03], general health [p=0.04], and the associated domains: physical health [p=0.00], psychological health [p=0.02], social relations [p=0.00], and environment [p=0.00].



CONCLUSIONS: The findings highlight the importance of Tai Chi in improving QOL and depression in this population.



Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.



KEYWORDS: Depression; Long-term care; Quality of life; Tai ChiPMID: 26860794  [PubMed - in process]