title: The effectiveness of Tai Chi on the physical and psychological well-being of college students: a study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The physical and mental health of college-age youths tends to continuously decline around the world. It is therefore important to promote health during this period. As a traditional Chinese mind-body exercise, Tai Chi Chuan (TCC) may be an available selection. However for the college student population, the evidence is unclear as to whether TCC can be recommended as an effective exercise for promoting their physical and psychological wellbeing. Therefore high quality, rigorous, prospective, and well-controlled randomized trials are needed to further understand TCC serving as a psychological and physical intervention in college age populations.
  
  
  METHODS
  We designed a randomized, single-blind, parallel-controlled trial with a sample size of 206 participants. All the participants who meet the inclusion criteria come from Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (FJTCM). Participants of the TCC training group will receive TCC training at a frequency of five days per week for one hour per day for 12 weeks. No specific exercise will be administered on the participants in the control group. Both physical and mental health outcomes, including balance ability, lower limb proprioception, flexibility, physical fitness, self-efficacy, psychological symptoms, attention span, stress, self-esteem, mood and mindfulness, quality of life, and quality of sleep. Safety outcomes will be evaluated by blinded operators at baseline, 12 and 24-weeks post-intervention.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This protocol presents an objective design of a randomized, single-blind trial that will test the effectiveness and safety of TCC on the physical and psychological wellbeing of college students. If the outcome is positive, the results will provide higher quality evidence of TCC on the physical and mental health of college age populations.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Chinese Clinical Trial Registry: ChiCTR-TRC-13003328.
authors.forename: Guohua
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Xiulu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Lan
authors.forename: Moyi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Kun
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ling
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, HuaTuo Road, Fuzhou 350122, China. lidianchen87@163.com.
authors.forename: Lidian
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tao
authors.forename: Junzhe
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Bai
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Qianying
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Fang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002681:China; D002985:Clinical Protocols; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional; D008603:Mental Health; D012107:Research Design; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology*; D026302:Tai Ji / Q000523:psychology*; D013997:Time Factors; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult
references.citation: Int J Behav Med. 2012 Sep;19(3):316-23
references.pmid: 21562780
references.citation: Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 2003 Mar;27(3):369-76
references.pmid: 12629565
references.citation: Ann Intern Med. 2008 Feb 19;148(4):295-309
references.pmid: 18283207
references.citation: Am J Prev Med. 2012 Jan;42(1):14-20
references.pmid: 22176841
references.citation: Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2011 Jul;43(7):1334-59
references.pmid: 21694556
references.citation: Age Ageing. 2011 May;40(3):297-306
references.pmid: 21508204
references.citation: Am J Epidemiol. 2008 Apr 1;167(7):875-81
references.pmid: 18303006
references.citation: Tex Heart Inst J. 2013;40(3):293-5
references.pmid: 23914023
references.citation: Am J Epidemiol. 1996 Aug 1;144(3):235-46
references.pmid: 8686692
references.citation: Neurol Sci. 2009 Apr;30(2):107-13
references.pmid: 19214377
references.citation: BMC Complement Altern Med. 2010 May 21;10:23
references.pmid: 20492638
references.citation: J Clin Nurs. 2007 Aug;16(8):1580-2
references.pmid: 17655547
references.citation: J Cardiopulm Rehabil Prev. 2009 May-Jun;29(3):152-60
references.pmid: 19471133
references.citation: BMC Public Health. 2008 Jun 18;8:215
references.pmid: 18564422
references.citation: Arch Intern Med. 2004 Mar 8;164(5):493-501
references.pmid: 15006825
references.citation: Clin Psychol Rev. 2010 Mar;30(2):145-54
references.pmid: 19945203
references.citation: Curr Opin Psychiatry. 2010 Jan;23(1):48-52
references.pmid: 19890212
references.citation: Ceylon Med J. 2002 Mar;47(1):13-5
references.pmid: 12001598
references.citation: Aust Fam Physician. 2008 Aug;37(8):673-7
references.pmid: 18704221
references.citation: JAMA. 1996 Jul 17;276(3):241-6
references.pmid: 8667571
references.citation: Fam Pract. 2004 Feb;21(1):107-13
references.pmid: 14760055
references.citation: Prev Med. 2004 Jul;39(1):182-90
references.pmid: 15208001
references.citation: J Sch Health. 2004 Feb;74(2):59-65
references.pmid: 15077500
references.citation: J Am Diet Assoc. 1996 Jan;96(1):35-8
references.pmid: 8537567
references.citation: J Am Coll Health. 2009 Mar-Apr;57(5):477-88
references.pmid: 19254888
references.citation: J Psychosoc Nurs Ment Health Serv. 2007 Apr;45(4):40-4
references.pmid: 17477328
references.citation: Lancet. 2011 Jun 18;377(9783):2093-102
references.pmid: 21652063
references.citation: Am J Health Promot. 2010 Jul-Aug;24(6):e1-e25
references.pmid: 20594090
references.citation: Support Care Cancer. 2004 Dec;12(12):871-6
references.pmid: 15599776
references.citation: Curr Opin Psychiatry. 2005 Mar;18(2):189-93
references.pmid: 16639173
references.citation: J Am Acad Nurse Pract. 2011 Jul;23(7):376-81
references.pmid: 21696487
references.citation: Osteoporos Int. 2008 Feb;19(2):139-46
references.pmid: 17955276
references.citation: J Adolesc Health. 2010 Jan;46(1):3-10
references.pmid: 20123251