Pei-Shiun Chang1,2, M Tish Knobf1, Marjorie Funk1, Byeongsang Oh3. 1. 1 School of Nursing, Yale University , West Haven, CT. 2. 2 School of Nursing, Indiana University , Bloomington, IN. 3. 3 Northern Sydney Cancer Centre, Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney , NSW, Australia .
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: Qigong exercise has been shown to improve physical and psychological well-being in adults with chronic conditions, but little is known about the feasibility and acceptability of engaging in a qigong exercise program in community-dwelling older adults in the United States. The purpose of this study was to explore the feasibility, acceptance, and adherence to an 8-week qigong exercise intervention in community-dwelling American older adults. DESIGN: An exploratory study design. SETTING: Two senior centers in southern Connecticut. SUBJECTS: Forty-five community-dwelling older adults aged 65 to 85 years enrolled. INTERVENTION: A supervised 1-h health qigong exercise session twice weekly for 8 weeks. OUTCOME MEASURES: An investigator-designed questionnaire with seven items that were rated on a 1 to 6 scale, with higher scores indicating better results, and nine open-ended questions were used to obtain data on feasibility and acceptability. Adherence was calculated as the proportion of the 16 planned sessions attended. RESULTS: Of the 45 older adults enrolled, 6 never started and 6 withdrew, with 33 evaluable at the end of the intervention. The mean age of the sample was 74.8 years; the majority were female (84.4%) and white (91.1%). Mean scores on aspects of difficulty, acceptability, suitability, or effectiveness of qigong exercise were all ≥5. Participants identified benefits of qigong exercise, such as calming and relaxing feelings, inner peace, better balance, and flexibility. Attendance rate was 78.8%, with 94% performing qigong exercise at least once weekly outside the class. All participants indicated that they would recommend qigong exercise to others. No adverse events occurred. CONCLUSION: An 8-week qigong exercise program was feasible, acceptable, and safe for American older adults. Future robust randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm these findings.
OBJECTIVES: Qigong exercise has been shown to improve physical and psychological well-being in adults with chronic conditions, but little is known about the feasibility and acceptability of engaging in a qigong exercise program in community-dwelling older adults in the United States. The purpose of this study was to explore the feasibility, acceptance, and adherence to an 8-week qigong exercise intervention in community-dwelling American older adults. DESIGN: An exploratory study design. SETTING: Two senior centers in southern Connecticut. SUBJECTS: Forty-five community-dwelling older adults aged 65 to 85 years enrolled. INTERVENTION: A supervised 1-h health qigong exercise session twice weekly for 8 weeks. OUTCOME MEASURES: An investigator-designed questionnaire with seven items that were rated on a 1 to 6 scale, with higher scores indicating better results, and nine open-ended questions were used to obtain data on feasibility and acceptability. Adherence was calculated as the proportion of the 16 planned sessions attended. RESULTS: Of the 45 older adults enrolled, 6 never started and 6 withdrew, with 33 evaluable at the end of the intervention. The mean age of the sample was 74.8 years; the majority were female (84.4%) and white (91.1%). Mean scores on aspects of difficulty, acceptability, suitability, or effectiveness of qigong exercise were all ≥5. Participants identified benefits of qigong exercise, such as calming and relaxing feelings, inner peace, better balance, and flexibility. Attendance rate was 78.8%, with 94% performing qigong exercise at least once weekly outside the class. All participants indicated that they would recommend qigong exercise to others. No adverse events occurred. CONCLUSION: An 8-week qigong exercise program was feasible, acceptable, and safe for American older adults. Future robust randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm these findings.
Entities:
Keywords:
American older adults; acceptability; adherence; feasibility; qigong; retention
Authors: Pei-Shiun Chang; Yvonne Lu; Chi Mai Nguyen; Youngnok Suh; Mary Luciani; Susan Ofner; Savannah Powell Journal: West J Nurs Res Date: 2020-09-18 Impact factor: 1.967