Author: Jie Zhao1,2, Yuli Zang1, Janita Pak Chun Chau1, Rong He3, David R Thompson4
Affiliation: <sup>1</sup> Nethersole School of Nursing, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, 8/F, Esther Lee Building, Shatin, NT, Hong Kong.
<sup>2</sup> School of Nursing, Yunnan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Kunming, Yunnan, China.
<sup>3</sup> Neurology Department, Yunnan Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Kunming, Yunnan, China.
<sup>4</sup> School of Nursing and Midwifery, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK.
Conference/Journal: Eur J Cardiovasc Nurs
Date published: 2021 May 19
Other:
Special Notes: doi: 10.1093/eurjcn/zvab036. , Word Count: 216
Aims:
Exercise promotes functional recovery among stroke survivors and is recommended to be commenced as soon as is feasible. However, little is known about stroke survivors' perception of participation in exercise or sitting Tai Chi, a more culturally appropriate and popular movement in China. To explore Chinese stroke survivors' perceptions of participation in exercise or sitting Tai Chi.
Methods and results:
Face-to-face semi-structured interviews and content analysis of transcripts were conducted with a purposive sample of 30 stroke survivors. The qualitative study explored perceptions of post-stroke participation in exercise or sitting Tai Chi. The consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research checklist was used to report findings. Perceived facilitators of exercise participation were healthcare professionals' encouragement and recommendations, family and peer support and survivors' motivation, intention, and self-perceived benefits. Perceived barriers were fear of falling, physical discomfort, and challenges in standing. Despite some reservations, most participants were willing to try sitting Tai Chi.
Conclusions:
Encouragement and support, motivation, and perceived benefits were important for exercise participation after stroke. With the premise that all medical and nursing students in China are trained in Tai Chi, for stroke survivors with no access to formal exercise programmes, sitting Tai Chi may offer an appropriate alternative.
Keywords: Exercise; Nurse-led intervention; Qualitative research; Rehabilitation; Stroke; Stroke survivor; Tai Chi.
PMID: 34008005 DOI: 10.1093/eurjcn/zvab036