Table 1.
Characteristics of the included randomized controlled trials.
| Authors | Country | Age mean (SD) (Years) | Sample size, n (female) | Participants | Intervention and comparator | Frequency (sessions/week) | Duration (weeks) | Session length (min) | Outcome measure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Song et al. (2022) | China | 64.15 (8.56) | 40 (40) | Older adults with knee osteoarthritis | Modified Tai Chi vs. health education | 3 | 12 | 60 | SDS |
| Dong et al. (2013) | South Korea | 68.5 (NR) | 102 (102) | Older women living alone | Yijinjing vs. no-intervention control, Liuzijue vs. no-intervention control | 3 | 12 | 60 | GDS-15 |
| Liao (2015) | China | 63.1 (4.20) | 80 (80) | Healthy older women | 24-form Tai Chi vs. usual lifestyle | 3 | 24 | 60 | SCL-90-D, POMS-D |
| Ma et al. (2016) | China | 60.6 (4.6) | 78 (78) | Middle-aged and older women | Mawangdui Daoyin vs. no-intervention control | 3 | 20 | 60 | POMS-D |
| Mo and Wang (2016) | China | 66.2 (4.3) | 79 (79) | Older women | Tai Chi stick vs. no-intervention control | 3 | 24 | 60 | SCL-90-D |
| Xu et al. (2025) | China | 54.44 (7.10) | 100 (100) | Female breast cancer patients after surgery | ORTCC management combined with Baduanjin vs. usual rehabilitation care | 5 | 12 | 20–30 | HADS-D |
| Yang and Wang (2023) | China | 48.32 (2.46) | 80 (80) | Perimenopausal women with COPD | Baduanjin plus usual treatment vs. usual treatment | 7 | 4 | 30 | SDS |
| Ma et al. (2010) | China | 49.19 (2.68) | 100 (100) | Perimenopausal women | Baduanjin vs. no-intervention control | 7 | 12 | 45 | CES-D |
| Shan et al. (2025) | China | 50.6 (3.1) | 80 (80) | Perimenopausal women with insomnia | Baduanjin combined with Du meridian fumigation vs. Du meridian fumigation | 7 | 4 | 15 | SDS |
| Luo et al. (2021) | China | 48.9 (3.5) | 70 (70) | Female breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy | Baduanjin combined with five-element music therapy vs. usual care | 14 | 4 | 30 | SDS |
| Ma et al. (2011) | China | 47.2 (2.5) | 145 (145) | Perimenopausal women with depressive symptoms | Baduanjin vs. non-exercise control, Baduanjin vs. walking | 5 | 12 | 45 | CES-D |
| Wen et al. (2024) | China | 45.3 (5.1) | 128 (128) | Female breast cancer patients after modified radical mastectomy | Early rehabilitation through ERAS, when paired with the initial four variations of Baduanjin, compared to ERAS early rehabilitation alone. | 7 | 12 | 30 | SDS |
| Wei et al. (2022) | China | 55 (3.5) | 70 (70) | Female breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy | Baduanjin vs. wait-list control | 5 | 12 | 30 | HADS-D |
| Larkey et al. (2015) | USA | 57.5 (8.8) | 101 (101) | Postmenopausal breast cancer survivors with fatigue | Qigong/Tai Chi vs. sham qigong | 1 | 12 | 60 | BDI |
| Chen et al. (2013) | China | 45.0 (8.1) | 96 (96) | Female breast cancer patients receiving radiotherapy | Qigong vs. wait-list control | 5 | 6 | 40 | CES-D |
| Sun et al. (2019) | China | 50.0 (9.7) | 67 (67) | Breast cancer patients | Baduanjin combined with breathing and meditation vs. usual pharmacotherapy | 7 | 4 | 30 | SDS |
| Shi et al. (2025) | China | 55.2 (6.3) | 118 (113) | Breast cancer patients | Multimodal psychological support combined with Baduanjin vs. usual care | 14 | 10 | 30 | SCL-90-D |
| Ni et al. (2021) | China | 69.1 (6.3) | 162 (162) | Older female patients undergoing chemotherapy for breast tumors | Honghuang decoction combined with Baduanjin vs. Honghuang decoction | 2 | 16 | 30 | SDS |
| Li et al. (2022) | China | 60.0 (5.0) | 57 (57) | Postmenopausal women with osteoporosis | Erxian decoction combined with Baduanjin vs. Baduanjin, Erxian decoction combined with Baduanjin vs. Erxian decoction | 5 | 16 | 45 | SDS |
| Liu J. et al. (2025) | China | 47.5 (1.8) | 72 (72) | Perimenopausal women with depression Symptoms | Tai Chi vs. no-intervention control | 5 | 12 | 60 | SDS |
| Carcelén-Fraile et al. (2023) | Spain | 69.7 (6.4) | 125 (125) | Postmenopausal women | Qigong vs. control | 2 | 12 | 60 | HADS-D |
| Chang et al. (2024) | China | 65.5 (3.5) | 124 (124) | Older women | Long-duration Tai Chi vs. control | 5 | 24 | 60 | BDI |
| Chen (2013) | China | 70.2 (7.5) | 180 (89) | Community-dwelling older adults | Baduanjin vs. usual lifestyle | 6 | 22 | 60 | SCL-90-D |
| Zhao et al. (2015) | China | 60.1 (6.5) | 52 (29) | Middle-aged and older adults with mild depression | Tai Chi vs. usual lifestyle | 3 | 52 | 30 | GDS-15 |
| Siu et al. (2025) | China | 64.3 (6.2) | 200 (161) | Middle-aged and older adults with chronic insomnia | Tai Chi vs. cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia | 2 | 12 | 60 | HADS-D |
| Wen et al. (2023) | China | 46.3 (9.2) | 88 (21) | Patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma after chemoradiotherapy | Baduanjin vs. usual care | 5 | 12 | 40 | PHQ-9 |
| Park et al. (2023) | Canada | 58.1 (9.4) | 23 (15) | Middle-aged and older adults with bipolar disorder | Qigong/Tai Chi vs. light exercise | 1 | 12 | 60 | MADRS, QIDS-SR |
| Ma et al. (2018) | China | 70.0 (10.6) | 158 (49) | Community-dwelling older adults with hypertension | Group-based Tai Chi vs. usual care | 4 | 24 | 60 | CES-D |
| Liu Z. et al. (2025) | China | 67.9 (4.6) | 110 (68) | Older adults with sleep disorders and mild cognitive impairment | Tai Chi plus real rTMS vs. Tai Chi plus sham rTMS | 5 | 6 | 60 | HDRS |
| Tou et al. (2024) | Singapore | 72.8 (7.0) | 56 (49) | Community-dwelling older adults with low handgrip strength | Baduanjin vs. wait-list control (health education) | 2.5 | 16 | 60 | GDS-15 |
NR, Not Reported; COPD, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease; ORTCC, Orem’s Rehabilitation Theory-based Continuous Care; ERAS, Enhanced Recovery After Surgery; rTMS, repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation; SDS, Self-Rating Depression Scale; GDS-15, Geriatric Depression Scale-15; SCL-90-D, Symptom Checklist-90; POMS-D, POMS Depression-Dejection subscale; HADS-D, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale - Depression subscale; CES-D, Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale; BDI, Beck Depression Inventory; PHQ-9, Patient Health Questionnaire-9; MADRS, Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale; QIDS-SR, Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology-Self-Report; HDRS, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale.