Feasibility and Efficacy of A Remote Tai Chi Program in Older Adults

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Status: Completed

Conditions: Aging

Treatments: Other: Usual care condiition; Device: Tai Chi intervention

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT06918678

STUDY00017966

Details and patient eligibility

About

This project is designed to explore the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a remote Tai Chi program on older adults' 24-hour movement behaviors (i.e., physical activity, sedentary behavior and sleep patterns).

Full description

This study employed a 26-week cross-over, randomized control trial design in which each participant was assigned to one of two condition (i.e., 10 participants/cohort, 2 cohorts/condition) sequences at baseline: 1) the Tai Chi intervention condition then the usual care condition; or 2) usual care condition then intervention condition. The intervention condition requested participants participate in remote Tai Chi program for 60 minutes/session 2 times/week beyond their usual care. The usual care condition asked participants to maintain regular activities without Tai Chi and not to change their regular activity routine. Each condition lasted 12 weeks, with a 2-week washout separating treatments. The researchers monitored intervention fidelity via monthly follow-up phone calls.

Enrollment: 35 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 60+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion and exclusion criteria

Eligible participants met the following inclusion criteria: 1) aged 60 years or older; 2) basic English communication skills; 3) without cognitive impairments or physical/mental dis-abilities that might limit their ability to practice TC, 4) computer/smartphone with internet access; and 5) provided informed consent. Participants who lacked the capacity to consent or had any medical condition that could make it potentially unsafe to be in an unsupervised physical space were excluded from the study.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Crossover Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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35 participants in 2 patient groups

Tai Chi intervention condition

Experimental group

Description:

(1) the Tai Chi intervention condition followed by the Usual Care condition, or (2) the Usual Care condition followed by the TC intervention condition. Participants in the Tai Chi intervention condition were asked to attend a remotely delivered Tai Chi program, consisting of two 60-minute sessions each week. The Usual Care condition required participants to maintain their regular activities without Tai Chi and not to change their routine. Each condition lasted 12 weeks with a 2-week washout period separating the conditions to minimize carryover effects.

Treatment:

Device: Tai Chi intervention

Usual Care condition

Active Comparator group

Description:

The Usual Care condition required participants to maintain their regular activities without Tai Chi and not to change their routine.

Treatment:

Other: Usual care condiition