Baduanjin exercise for negative emotion of patients undergoing chemotherapy: a systematic review and meta-analysis


Author: Dongwan He1, Chunyan Zhang2, Ranran Li3, Xiumin Zhang4

Affiliation: <sup>1</sup> Jilin Province Tumor Hospital, Changchun, China. hedongwan@qq.com.

<sup>2</sup> Jilin Province Tumor Hospital, Changchun, China.

<sup>3</sup> Jilin University, Changchun, China.

<sup>4</sup> Jilin University, Changchun, China. zhangxiumin63@163.com.
Conference/Journal: Support Care Cancer
Date published: 2024 Aug 22
Other:
 Volume ID: 32   ,  Issue ID: 9   ,  Pages: 608   ,  Special Notes: doi: 10.1007/s00520-024-08804-9.   ,  Word Count: 249  
    Introduction:

Baduanjin was also called Eight Brocades (EB), a branch of Qigong exercise, is classified as a mild-to-moderate intensity aerobic exercise. It has been theorized that regular practice of EB can alleviate anxiety and depression in patients undergoing chemotherapy; however, there are currently no comprehensive quantitative reviews on the efficacy of EB for this population. Therefore, this meta-analysis aims to investigate the effects of EB on chemotherapy-treated patients.



Methods:

Eight electronic databases were searched from their inception until February 15, 2024, to identify relevant studies. The inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied to filter the retrieved studies. Outcomes were various quantitative assessments. This systematic review was registered in the PROSPERO Registry (registration number CRD42023466630).



Results:

Nine randomized controlled trials (RCTs) met eligibility criteria (n = 704). The meta-analysis results demonstrated that EB significantly reduced levels of anxiety and depression. Subgroup analysis revealed that the intervention frequency of 1 time/day had a greater effect on the improvement of negative emotions, compared with 2 times/day and 5 times/week. The intervention duration of 4 weeks showed more efficacy in reducing depression scores than 12 weeks or 16 weeks; however, no statistical difference was observed for anxiety scores.



Conclusion:

EB exercise can reduce depression and anxiety symptoms in chemotherapy-treated patients. However, the results should be interpreted with caution as existing methodological limitations. The findings provided insights into the development of public health initiatives to improve the negative emotion among chemotherapy-treated patients by EB exercise.



Keywords: Anxiety; Baduanjin; Chemotherapy-treated patients; Depression; Meta-analysis; Randomized controlled trials.



PMID: 39172232 DOI: 10.1007/s00520-024-08804-9