| Background: Older adults need exercise programs that correspond to age-related changes. Qigong exercise, a type of Chinese traditional medicine exercise, is a gentle low-impact exercise and is safe for older adults. Qigong interventions have resulted in improved psychological well-being, muscle strength, flexibility and balance in Asian adults with chronic conditions. However, little data are available on the effects of Qigong exercise on older adults' health in the United States. The purpose of the study was to explore feasibility, adherence, and preliminary efficacy of an 8-week Qigong exercise intervention in community-dwelling older adults in the United States.;Conceptual Framework: The Layers Model, which describes the complex multidimensional effects of Qigong exercise on physical, mental, emotional, social and spiritual dimensions, guided the study.;Methods: This study was a one-group pretest-posttest design and was conducted in two senior centers in greater New Haven, CT. Inclusion criteria were: age 65-85 years, English speaking, baseline 6-minute walk test less than 554 meters for males and 530 meters for females, medically stable with physician permission to participate, Mini-Mental State Examination score of ≥25, and able to complete questionnaires. Participants attended a 1-hour Health Qigong exercise session led by an experienced Qigong practitioner twice weekly for 8 weeks. Data on 6-minute walk test (physical ability), Medical Outcomes 12-item Health Survey (functional ability), Berg Balance Scale (balance), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (psychological health), and Spirituality sub-scale of the Body-Mind-Spirit Well-Being (spiritual well-being) were collected at baseline and at the end of the intervention. A questionnaire addressing satisfaction with the intervention was administered at the end of the intervention only. Paired t-test was used to compare pre- and post-intervention scale scores and 6-minute walk test distance. Participants' responses regarding satisfaction with the intervention were summarized to explore the feasibility, adherence and acceptance of Qigong exercise.;Results: A total of 45 older adults were enrolled and 33 completed the follow-up tests. The mean age was 74.8 years. The majority of participants were female (84.4%) and white (91.1%), and most lived with their spouse (48.9%). The most commonly occurring medical illness was hypertension (37.8%), followed by osteoarthritis (35.6%) and cardiovascular disease (20.0%). There was no significant difference on demographic, physical ability, health characteristics or baseline outcome measurements between dropouts and non-dropouts. The results show that physical ability (p < 0.001), functional ability (p = 0.001), balance (p < 0.001), the length of arm reach (p < 0.001), depression and anxiety (p = 0.005), and spiritual well-being (p = 0.004) improved significantly after completion of the 8-week Qigong exercise classes. Participants' responses confirmed that Qigong exercise is feasible and physically acceptable. No critical barriers to learn or do Qigong exercise were identified. Most participants perceived physical, mental, and spiritual health benefits.;Conclusion: The results show that Qigong exercise is feasible and safe for older adults and is an effective method for improving physical and psychological health. The findings of this study suggest the potential application of Qigong exercise in older adults with chronic illness, and may be used as an adjunctive exercise in cardiac rehabilitation programs. |
