J Korean Acad Community Health Nurs.  2010 Mar;21(1):118-127. 10.12799/jkachn.2010.21.1.118.

The Effects of a Tai Chi Exercise Program for Patients with Arthritis in Rural Areas

• So A
• Lee KS
• Choi JS
• Lee EH

• KMID: 2292919
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.12799/jkachn.2010.21.1.118

Abstract

PURPOSE
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of a Tai-Chi exercise program on subjective health and physiological function index.
METHODS
This study was designed as non-equivalent control group pretest-posttest research. Eighteen women in each group completed the posttest with an attendance rate of 78.3 % after 12 weeks. The Tai Chi exercise program was provided two times a week over three months for the experimental group, but no program for the control group. A questionnaire was used for subjective health index, which consisted of Korean-WOMAC Index for joint stiffness, K-HAQ for physical disability, EQ-5D for quality of life and perceived health status, and CES-D for depression. To measure the effect on the physiological function index, femoral muscle strength, shoulder joint and back flexibility were measured.
RESULTS
All variables except left anterior femoral muscle strength had significant homogeneity between the two groups. There were statistically significant differences between the experimental group and the control group in joint stiffness (t=-2.165, p=.03), physical disability (t=-2.231, p=.038), EQ-5D index (t=3.783, p=.001), perceived health status (t=-2.349, p=.025) and femoral posterior muscle strength (t=2.487, p=.038).
CONCLUSION
The Tai-Chi exercise program was beneficial for women with arthritis in rural communities.

Keyword

Tai Chi; Arthritis

MeSH Terms

Arthritis*
Depression
Female
Humans
Joints
Muscle Strength
Pliability
Quality of Life
Rural Population
Shoulder Joint
Tai Ji*
Surveys and Questionnaires

Figure

• 

  Figure 1 Research design.

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