Health-Related Quality of Life in the Elderly Practicing T&apos;ai Chi Chuan

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Title:	Health-Related Quality of Life in the Elderly Practicing T'ai Chi Chuan
Authors:	何宗融(Tsung-Jung Ho);梁文敏(Liang WM);練智慧(Lien Chih-Hui);馬作鏹(Ma Tsochiang);郭憲文(Hsien-Wen Kuo);褚柏菁(BOW-CHING CHU);張馨文(Hsin-Wen Chang);賴俊雄;林昭庚(Jaung-Geng Lin)
Contributors:	中醫學院中醫學系學士班中醫外傷學科
Date:	2007-12
Issue Date:	2009-08-20 17:58:29 (UTC+8)
Abstract:	Objective: Previous studies have shown health benefits of T’ai Chi Chuan (TCC). In Taiwan, TCC is a form of exercise that is widely practiced by the elderly. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the effects of TCC on the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in the senior population. Methods: Subjects who regularly practiced TCC in Taiwan were selected by random sampling and included 140 seniors (77 males and 63 females, aged 40–70 years). The questionnaire was separated into 2 parts: demographic information and the SF-36 questionnaire, which used 8 domains to evaluate the subjects’ HRQOL. The results were compared with those of 560 age- and sex-matched control subjects that were taken from the general population (308 males and 252 females). Multiple regression analysis was used to compare the quality of life in each of the 8 domains between the 2 groups. Results: The TCC group showed significantly higher quality-of-life scores than the control group in each of the 8 domains with the exception of the bodily pain scales. Using multiple linear regression adjusted for covariates, the TCC group had significantly higher scores in physical functioning, physical roles, general health, vitality, and social-functioning scales than the control group. In most of the domains in both the TCC group and the control group, quality of life became worse with increased age, whereas the scores in vitality and social- functioning domains of the TCC group showed a reverse trend; they remained unchanged or even improved with increased age. Conclusions: Our study supports the hypothesis that TCC improves quality of life among the elderly in Taiwan, but further study must be conducted to more conclusively show the link between TCC and health-related QOL.
Relation:	JOURNAL OF ALTERNATIVE AND COMPLEMENTARY MEDICINE 13(10):1077~1084
Appears in Collections:	[School of Chinese Medicine] Journal articles

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