A pilot randomized controlled trial using Baduanjin qigong to reverse frailty status among post-treatment older cancer survivors
Author: Denise Shuk Ting Cheung1, Pui Hing Chau2, Tai-Chung Lam3, Alina Yee Man Ng2, Tiffany Wan Han Kwok2, Naomi Takemura2, Jean Woo4, Doris Sau-Fung Yu2, Chia Chin Lin5
Affiliation:
1 School of Nursing, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong. Electronic address: denisest@hku.hk.
2 School of Nursing, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
3 Department of Clinical Oncology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong.
4 Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
5 School of Nursing, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong; School of Nursing, College of Nursing, Taipei Medical University, Taiwan; Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Charity Foundation Professor in Nursing, Hong Kong.
Conference/Journal: J Geriatr Oncol
Date published: 2022 Mar 7
Other:
Special Notes: doi: 10.1016/j.jgo.2022.02.014. , Word Count: 226
Objectives:
To evaluate the feasibility and potential effects of qigong Baduanjin for reversing frailty status among older cancer survivors.
Materials and methods:
Twenty-eight older cancer survivors screened as pre-frail or frail were recruited. They were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive a sixteen-week Baduanjin intervention or an active control condition (light flexibility exercise). Frailty status (primary outcome) and secondary outcomes (physical performance, activities of daily living performance, psychological well-being, and health-related quality of life) were measured by physical performance tests and questionnaires. Qualitative interviews were conducted to explore participants' perspectives on the intervention.
Results:
Twenty-one participants (75%) completed the study, with reasons of withdrawal mainly relating to the COVID-19 pandemic. Attendance at Baduanjin sessions and adherence to self-practice were satisfactory, with all retained participants attending all sessions and 81.8% practicing Baduanjin for more than 90 min per week. Qualitative findings demonstrated that participants accepted Baduanjin. The proportion of improvement in frailty status at post-intervention appeared to be higher in the intervention group (26.7%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 10.1% to 54.0%) than the control group (15.4%; 95% CI, 3.7% to 46.0%); yet the difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.461).
Conclusions:
Baduanjin qigong appears to be feasible and acceptable among older cancer survivors. To confirm the intervention effect, an adequately powered trial is warranted.
Trial registration:
ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04694066. Retrospectively registered 5 January 2021, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04694066.
Keywords: Clinical trials; Exercise; Frailty; Mind-body exercise; Qigong; cancer.
PMID: 35272982 DOI: 10.1016/j.jgo.2022.02.014
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