Cross-sectional study of depression tendency and sleep quality in 1352 people practicing Tai Chi

Author: Liang Cheng1, Shuwan Chang1, Bingcheng Wang2, Benxiang He1, Yajun Tan3
Affiliation:
1 School of Sports Medicine and Health, Chengdu Sport University, Chengdu, China.
2 Jinling Hospital, General Hospital of Eastern Theater Command, Nanjing, China.
3 Sport Hospital, Chengdu Sport University, Chengdu, China.
Conference/Journal: Res Sports Med
Date published: 2022 Jan 7
Other: Special Notes: doi: 10.1080/15438627.2021.2024832. , Word Count: 178


This cross-sectional study aimed to analyse the relationship between Tai Chi exercise habits and depression tendency and sleep quality in people practicing Tai Chi in Chengdu, China. A total of 1352 Tai Chi practitioners aged 50-79 years old were divided into six groups according to age and gender for Tai Chi exercise habits, depression tendency and sleep quality. The frequency of weekly Tai Chi practice and duration of single Tai Chi practice have a significant positive correlation with the exercise years. For female subjects who had long-term Tai Chi exercise, depression decreased with the duration and weekly frequency of a single exercise. Tai Chi exercise habits reduced sleep disturbance scores (in the male group aged 60-69 years old, exercise years, r = -0.242, p = 0.004) and sleep duration (in the male and female group aged 70-79 years old, duration of single Tai Chi practice, r = -0.334, p = 0.035; r = -0.235, p = 0.029), suggesting that long-term Tai Chi exercise may reduce the trend of poor sleep quality due to increased ageing.

Keywords: Tai chi; depression; exercise habits; middle-aged and elderly people; sleep.

PMID: 34994259 DOI: 10.1080/15438627.2021.2024832

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