AIMS: Previous studies have shown health benefits of Tai Chi Chung(TCC). TCC is a traditional form of Kung Fu (a Chinese martial art). In Taiwan, TCC is a widely practiced form of exercise that is generally performed by people in public areas especially for the elderly in the early morning. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the effect of TCC on the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in elders. METHODS: Subjects who regularly practiced TCC in southern Taiwan were selected by random sampling and included 140 elders (77 males and 63 females, aged 40-70 years). The questionnaire was separated into two parts; personal information such as age and sex, and the SF-36 which was used to evaluate subjects' physical and mental HRQOL based on eight domains. The results were compared with those of 714 age-matched controls from the general population (382 males and 332 females). Stratified analysis was adopted to exclude confounding effects from age and gender. Two-sample t-test and one-way ANOVA were used to compare the differences of QOL among groups. RESULTS: The result showed that there were significant differences in Role-Physical (p=0.018), General Health(p<0.001) and Vitality (p=0.007) between TCC males and controls. In TCC females, there were significant differences in General Health (p<0.001) and Social Functioning (p=0.003). The effect of the type of TCC on Physical-Functioning was also significant. Overall, reliability and validity were good. Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.81. Convergent validity was 62.9% and discriminant validity was 75%. CONCLUSIONS: As a result, we find that frequently practicing TCC can not only increase general health but also improve other dimensions of HRQOL for the elderly.
