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

NCT ID: NCT06918678

Last Updated: 2025-04-09

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 35 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2023-03-20
• Study Completion Date: 2023-10-30

Brief Summary

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).

Detailed 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.

Conditions

Aging

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: CROSSOVER
• Primary Study Purpose: PREVENTION
• Blinding Strategy: SINGLE

Study Groups

Tai Chi intervention condition

(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.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Tai Chi intervention

Intervention Type: DEVICE

The Tai Chi program was delivered virtually via Zoom by a certified Tai Chi instructor for 12 weeks. Tai Chi forms employed in the class was adapted from an evident-based fall prevention program - Tai Ji Quan: Moving for Better Balance. This program is a research-based Tai Chi balance training regimen. The program composed of core adapted Tai Chi movements and various therapeutic movements as well as breathing exercises

Usual Care condition

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

Group Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Usual care condiition

Intervention Type: OTHER

In the usual care condition, the investigators requested that participants maintain their regular activities during their time in the usual care condition. The participants were encouraged to refrain from Tai Chi, but not prohibited from engaging in Tai Chi, in the usual care period.

Interventions

Tai Chi intervention

The Tai Chi program was delivered virtually via Zoom by a certified Tai Chi instructor for 12 weeks. Tai Chi forms employed in the class was adapted from an evident-based fall prevention program - Tai Ji Quan: Moving for Better Balance. This program is a research-based Tai Chi balance training regimen. The program composed of core adapted Tai Chi movements and various therapeutic movements as well as breathing exercises

Intervention Type: DEVICE

Usual care condiition

In the usual care condition, the investigators requested that participants maintain their regular activities during their time in the usual care condition. The participants were encouraged to refrain from Tai Chi, but not prohibited from engaging in Tai Chi, in the usual care period.

Intervention Type: OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion 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.

Exclusion Criteria

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.

• Minimum Eligible Age: 60 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

University of Minnesota

OTHER

Sponsor Role: collaborator

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Zan Gao

Professor and Department Head

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Locations

University of Minnesota, Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States

Countries

United States

Other Identifiers

STUDY00017966

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id