Effectiveness of a Tai Chi intervention for improving functional fitness and general health among ethnically diverse older adults with self-reported arthritis living in low-income neighborhoods: a cohort study.
OBJECTIVE
Tai Chi (TC) is a form of low to moderate physical activity that has been shown to significantly impact health and functional fitness among older adults; the impact of TC on the health and functional fitness of older adults with arthritis is not well understood. The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a 16-week TC intervention for improving functional fitness and self-reported general health among older adults with arthritis who were born outside Canada and were residing in low-income neighborhoods.


METHODS
A 16-week intervention was conducted among older adults residing in 1 of 2 specified low-income neighborhoods in Canada. The analysis was limited to those who self-reported having arthritis (n = 102). Participants were encouraged to attend 2 moderate-intensity TC sessions per week for a total of 120 minutes. Functional fitness and health were assessed at baseline and at 16 weeks.


RESULTS
Average attendance was 1.1 sessions per week. Functional fitness assessment results indicated that right-hand grip strength (25.6 ± 8.2 to 26.7 ± 7.8 kg), left-hand grip strength (24.9 ± 7.3 to 26.8 ± 7.1 kg), 30-second arm curl (15.6 ± 5.0 to 18.6 ± 5.7 repetitions/30 s), Timed Up-and-Go (7.4 ± 2.6 to 6.9 ± 2.6 s), and 30-second chair stand (12.0 ± 3.9 to 15.4 ± 5.8 s) improved significantly (P < 0.05) from baseline to 16 weeks. Results from the Short Form-36 indicate that physical functioning (73.1 ± 19.9 to 80.3 ± 19.4; P = 0.001), general health (61.5 ± 20.9 to 66.0 ± 20.4; P = 0.03), vitality (61.5 ± 18.9 to 67.5 ± 20.2; P = 0.008), and mental health (74.3 ± 16.5 to 78.5 ± 17.7; P = 0.04) also improved significantly over the intervention period. Improvements in physical health and physical function scores were clinically meaningful.


CONCLUSIONS
Participating in TC for 16 weeks led to significant improvements in functional fitness and components of physical and mental health among older adults with self-reported arthritis. Tai Chi seems to be a valuable mode of physical activity for this population.
1Faculty of Health Sciences, Kinesiology Department, University of Ontario Institute of Technology, Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. 2School of Kinesiology and Health Science, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Shilpa
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Dogra
Suhayb
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Meghavi
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Patel
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Tamim
D000368:Aged; D001168:Arthritis / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D002170:Canada; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants; D005260:Female; D018737:Hand Strength; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D004856:Postural Balance; D011203:Poverty; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D026302:Tai Ji / Q000379:methods*