Virtual Tai Chi in Older University Workers

NCT07757516 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: IRB ID# 2007860944
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 72
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This pilot, pragmatic behavioral intervention study was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants aged 50+ were recruited from a university and assigned to immediate Tai Chi or a waitlist. Sessions were 3×/week for 6 weeks via Zoom. Some crossover occurred after assignment (partial randomization). Outcomes at baseline, 6, and 12 weeks. Primary outcome: PSQI. Retrospectively registered due to pandemic conditions. The goal of this clinical trial is to determine whether the Tai Chi intervention improves sleep quality in older adults. The main questions it aims to answer are: Does the Tai Chi intervention change global and component PSQI scores, and does baseline mindfulness modify intervention effects? What medical problems do participants have during the study time period? Sleep disturbance, especially among older adults, is linked to declines in overall well-being. Tai Chi has been identified as a promising tool to improve sleep quality. Participants will:

• Enroll in a 6-week virtual Tai Chi program taught over Zoom.
• Participants took three 50-minute classes every week and got recorded videos to practice on their own.
• Half of the Participants started the classes right away, while a "waitlist" group had to wait 6 weeks before getting their turn with the exact same program.
• What They Measured: The researchers tracked everyone's progress at the very start, at 6 weeks, and at 12 weeks. They specifically measured sleep quality (using a standard questionnaire called the PSQI) and examined how mindful participants were when they first joined.

Conditions

Sleep Quality

Keywords

Tai Chi; Older Workers; Sleep

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI)

  PSQI is a 19-item self-report questionnaire assessing sleep quality over the past month across seven components: subjective sleep quality, sleep latency, sleep duration, habitual sleep efficiency, sleep disturbances, use of sleep medication, and daytime dysfunction. Each component is scored from 0 (no difficulty) to 3 (severe difficulty), yielding a global score range of 0 to 21. A global score \>5 indicates poor sleep quality.

  PSQI was collected at Baseline, 6-weeks, and 12 weeks

Study Arms (2)

Intervention Group

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants who receive the Tai Chi (BaFa WuBu) / Qigong (Ba Duan Jing) intervention immediately.

Behavioral: Tai Chi (BaFa WuBu) / Qigong (Ba Duan Jing) intervention.

Waitlist Control

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Participants who receive the Tai Chi (BaFa WuBu) / Qigong (Ba Duan Jing) intervention 6 weeks after the Interventional arm receives the intervention.

Behavioral: Tai Chi (BaFa WuBu) / Qigong (Ba Duan Jing) intervention.

Interventions

Tai Chi (BaFa WuBu) / Qigong (Ba Duan Jing) intervention. BEHAVIORAL

The virtual Tai Chi and Qigong intervention consisted of three 50-minute sessions per week for six weeks, led by three trained instructors. The sessions were delivered live online using Zoom. Sessions were held on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and each class included 1) 10 minutes of warm-up; 2) 5 minutes of meditation; 3) 30 minutes of Tai Chi and Qigong practice; 4) 5 minutes of cool-down and summary.

Also known as: Tai Chi, Qigong

Intervention Group; Waitlist Control

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 50 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• University Workers 50+ years of age
• Consented to study

You may not qualify if:

• Did not express interest in Tai Chi intervention
• Did not consent to study

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Arizona: lead

Study Sites (1)

Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, The University of Arizona

Tucson, Arizona, 85724, United States

Location

Related Publications (3)

• Lyu L, Li Y, Fan X, Seo J, Eunna O. The effect of Tai Chi exercise intervention on sleep quality in community residing older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Eur Geriatr Med. 2024 Apr;15(2):381-396. doi: 10.1007/s41999-023-00923-6. Epub 2024 Jan 16.

  PMID: 38227110 BACKGROUND

• Miner B, Kryger MH. Sleep in the Aging Population. Sleep Med Clin. 2020 Jun;15(2):311-318. doi: 10.1016/j.jsmc.2020.02.016.

  PMID: 32386704 BACKGROUND

• Nguyen V, George T, Brewster GS. Insomnia in Older Adults. Curr Geriatr Rep. 2019 Dec;8(4):271-290. doi: 10.1007/s13670-019-00300-x. Epub 2019 Oct 22.

  PMID: 33312842 BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders

Interventions

Tai Ji; Qigong; Methods

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Sleep Disorders, Intrinsic; Dyssomnias; Sleep Wake Disorders; Nervous System Diseases; Mental Disorders

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Mind-Body Therapies; Complementary Therapies; Therapeutics; Exercise Movement Techniques; Physical Therapy Modalities; Breathing Exercises; Investigative Techniques

Study Officials

• Zhao Chen, PhD

  Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, The University of Arizona

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: HEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Model Details: The virtual Tai Chi and Qigong intervention consisted of three 50-minute sessions per week for six weeks, led by three trained instructors. The sessions were delivered live online using Zoom. Sessions were held on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and each class included 1) 10 minutes of warm-up; 2) 5 minutes of meditation; 3) 30 minutes of Tai Chi and Qigong practice; 4) 5 minutes of cool-down and summary. The intervention videos of all live online sessions were available on D2L site. Participants were encouraged to attend the three live sessions, use recordings for additional practice, and attend make-up sessions if they missed the live sessions. Participants will be randomized into 2 groups: those who receive the intervention immediately and those who are randomized to a waitlist.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: July 10, 2026
• First Posted: August 11, 2026
• Study Start: October 5, 2020
• Primary Completion: March 30, 2021
• Study Completion: June 30, 2021
• Last Updated: August 11, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-06

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

US (1)