Table 1.
Basic characteristics of the included studies.
| Reference (year) | Country | Subjects, N | Age (Tai Chi/ Controls) | Study Design | Intervention Frequency, style | Intervention Duration | Outcome Measured | Outcomes | quality Score (randomization/ blinding/ dropouts) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tai Chi, N | Control(s), N |
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| 1 Disease category | ||||||||||
| 1.1 Arthritis | ||||||||||
| Chenchen Wang, et al (2009) [15] | the United States | KOA, 40 | 65±7.8 | RCT | 60 min, 2x/wk, 10- form classic Yang style, 20 |
education and stretching program, 20 | 12 weeks | 1-5 Self Efficacy Scale | Self-efficacy significantly improved in Tai Chi group vs. control group | 2/1/1 |
|
| ||||||||||
| Catherine A. Hartman, et al (2000) [23] |
the United States | osteoarthritis, 33 | 68 | RCT | 60 min, 2x/wk, 9-form Yang style, 18 |
usual activities, 15 | 12 weeks | Arthritis Self Efficacy Scale | Self-efficacy for arthritis symptoms and total arthritis significantly improved in Tai Chi group vs. control group | 2/1/ND |
|
| ||||||||||
| Chenchen Wang, et al (2016) [24] | the United States | KOA, 204 | 60 | RCT | 60 min, 2x/wk, Yang style, 106 |
physical therapy, 98 | 12 weeks | Arthritis Self Efficacy Scale | Self-efficacy improved in Tai Chi group, but no significant difference in two groups | 2/1/1 |
|
| ||||||||||
| Rhayun Song, et al (2007) [25] | Korea | osteoarthritis, 72 | 63 | RCT | first two weeks, 60 min, 3x/wk; another 10 weeks, 1x/wk; 12-form Sun style, 38 |
the control group, 34 | 12 weeks | The Motivation Scale for Health Behaviors | Self-efficacy improved after Tai Chi intervention, but no significant difference between two groups | 2/ND/1 |
|
| ||||||||||
| Chwan Li Shen, et al (2008) [26] | the United States | KOA, 40 | 64.4 ± 8.3 | Pre-Post study |
60 min, 2x/wk, 24-form simplified Yang style | / | 6 weeks | Chronic Pain Self Efficacy Scale (CPSS) |
No changes were found in self-efficacy of pain management, physical function and other symptoms | / |
|
| ||||||||||
| Leigh F. Callahan, et al (2016) [27] |
the United States | arthritis, 343 | 66 | RCT | 60 min, 2x/wk, Sun Style, 181 |
wait-list control, 162 | 8 weeks | Arthritis Self Efficacy Scale | Arthritis self-efficacy of pain and other symptoms had no difference at 8 weeks but decreased at one-year follow up | 2/ND/1 |
|
| ||||||||||
| 1.2 Chronic Heart Failure | ||||||||||
| Gloria Y Yeh, et al (2011) [17] | the United States | chronic systolic heart failure, 100 | 67±11 | RCT | 60 min, 2x/wk, adapted from Master Cheng Man-Ch'ing's Yang style short form, 50 | education attention control, 50 | 12 weeks | the Cardiac Exercise Self-Efficacy Instrument | Self-efficacy significantly improved in Tai Chi group vs. control group | 2/1/1 |
| Gloria Y Yeh, et al (2013) [31] | the United States | heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, 16 | 66±12 | RCT | 60 min, 2x/wk, adapted from Master Cheng Man-Ch'ing's Yang-style short form, 8 | aerobic exercise control, 8 | 12 weeks | The Self-Efficacy- Barriers to Exercise Scale | Self-efficacy improved in Tai Chi group but no significant difference between two groups | 2/ND/ND |
|
| ||||||||||
| 1.3 COPD | ||||||||||
| Lorna Ng, et al (2014) [16] |
Hong Kong | COPD, 192 | 74.16± 6.46 74.13± 6.81 |
RCT | pulmonary rehabilitation program and 15 min, 2x/wk, 5-form Sun Style, 94 |
pulmonary rehabilitation program, 98 | 12 weeks | COPD Self Efficacy Scale (COPD-CSES); Self Efficacy for Managing Shortness of Breath (SEMSOB) | COPD-CSES and SEMSOB significantly improved in Tai Chi group at 6-month but no significant difference between two groups | 2/1/1 |
| Gloria Y Yeh, et al (2010) [32] | the United States | COPD, 10 | 65±6 66±6 |
RCT | Tai Chi plus usual care 60 min, 2x/wk, Master Cheng Man-Ch'ing's Yang style short form, 5 |
usual care, 5 | 12 weeks | COPD-CSES | Self-efficacy improved in Tai Chi group but no significant difference of two groups | 2/1/1 |
|
| ||||||||||
| 1.4 other diseases | ||||||||||
| Arnaud Dechamps, et al (2009) [33] |
France | sedentary obese women, 21 | 44.4±11.9 | RCT | Diet plus TC, 2-hour weekly group session Yang style, 11 | Diet plus conventional structured exercise program, 10 |
10 weeks | the General Self Efficacy (GSE) Scale | General self-efficacy improved in Tai Chi group but no significant difference between two groups | 2/1/1 |
| Kim D. Jones, et al (2012) [34] |
the United States | fibromyalgia, 98 | 54 | RCT | 90 min, 2x/wk, 8-form Yang style, 51 | education control, 47 | 12 weeks | Arthritis Self Efficacy Scale |
Self-efficacy for pain control, function and other symptoms significantly improved vs. control group | 2/ND/1 |
| Bo Li, et al (2017) [35] |
China | Parkinson, 60 | ND | RCT | 60 min, 4x/wk, Simplified 24-Form, 30 |
usual care, 30 | 12 weeks | the Modified Falls Efficacy Scale (MFES) | Fall self-efficacy in Tai Chi group significantly improved vs. control group | 1/ND/1 |
| Arnaud Dechamps, et al (2009) [36] |
France | elderly with different diseases, 52 | 80.7±8.9 | RCT | 30 min, 4x/wk, Yang style, 26 |
Cognition action exercise program, 26 | 24 weeks | Falls Efficacy Scale (FES); TC exercise self efficacy (TCSE) scale | Self-efficacy significantly improved in Tai Chi group but no significant difference between two groups | 1/1/1 |
| Lee, Eunhee (2010) [37] | Korea | Korean American older women with different diseases, 41 | 65.8±6.6 63.1±7.9 |
pre-post study |
60 min, weekly, plus Health education, 20 | Health education, 21 | 16 weeks | Self Efficacy Scale | Self-efficacy improved in Tai Chi group but no significant difference between two groups | / |
|
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| 2 Population category | ||||||||||
| 2.1 College Students | ||||||||||
| Guohua Zheng, et al (2015) [38] |
China | college students, 198 |
20.6±1.1 | RCT | 60 min, 5x/wk, 24-form simplified Tai Chi, 95 |
usual physical activities , 103 |
12 weeks | Chinese adaptation of the General Self efficacy Scale | No significant changes were found after Tai Chi intervention and the comparison of two groups | 2/2/1 |
| Ting Rao,(2014) [39] | China | college students, 206 | 16-25 | RCT | 60 min, 5x/wk, 24-form simplified Tai Chi, 103 |
Blank control, 103 | 12 weeks | General Self Efficacy Scale | Self-efficacy improved in Tai Chi group after 12 weeks but no significant difference in two groups | 2/2/1 |
| Wei Sun,(2016) [40] | China | college students, 60 | ND | RCT | 2x/wk, 30 | other activities, 30 | 12 weeks | General Self Efficacy Scale | Self-efficacy significantly improved after 12 weeks vs. control group | 1/ND/ND |
| Karen Caldwell, et al (2011) [41] |
the United States | college students, 208 | 18-48 | quasi- experimental study |
50 min, 2x/wk, Chen-style Tai Chi classes, 76 |
the special recreation, 132 | 15 weeks | The Self- regulatory Self- Efficacy Scale |
Self-efficacy showed no significant difference in two groups | / |
| Karen Caldwell, et al (2011) [18] |
the United States | college students, 127 | 18-32 | NRS | 50 min, 2x/wk, Chen-style, 35 | Pilates mat classes, two recreation classes, 92 | 15 weeks | The Self- regulatory Self- Efficacy Scale |
Self-efficacy significantly improved in Tai Chi group but no comparisons between two groups | / |
|
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| 2.2 Elderly People | ||||||||||
| Chen-Yuan Hsu, et al (2016) [42] | Tai Wan | older Taiwanese people using wheelchairs, 60 |
80.73±9.68 | RCT | 40 min, 3x/wk, seated simplified Tai Chi exercise program (STEP), 30 | usual exercise and entertainment activities group, 30 | 26 weeks | Self- Efficacy for Exercise Scale |
Self-efficacy significantly improved vs. control group | 2/ND/ND |
| Yong Tai Wang, et al (2016) [43] | the United States | elderly with disability, 28 | 87.23±6.71 89.73±6.31 | NRS | 60 min, 2x/wk, Wheelchair Tai Chi (WTC), 13 |
control group, 15 | 12 weeks | Pain Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (PSEQ) | Self-efficacy significantly improved in Tai Chi group but no comparisons between two groups | / |
| Fuzhong Li, et al (2005) [44] | the United States | inactive older adults, 256 | 77.48±4.95 | RCT | 60 min, 3x/wk, 24-Form Yang style, 125 | Stretching control exercise condition, 131 | 26 weeks | Activities- Specific Balance Confidence (ABC) Scale |
Tai Chi significantly improved falls self efficacy over 26 weeks follow-up vs. the control | 1/ND/ND |
| Fuzhong Li, et al (2001) [19] | the United States | inactive older adults, 94 | 72.8±5.1 | RCT | 60 min, 2x/wk, 24-Form Yang style, 49 | waiting list control group, 45 | 24 weeks | Exercise- related self-efficacy Scale |
Tai Chi improved barriers efficacy and performance efficacy significantly vs. control group | 1/ND/1 |
| Busing, J Kyle (2005) [45] | the United States | healthy elderly adults, 33 | 69±5.7 | NRS | 70 min, weekly, Yang style 24-Form Simplified Tai Chi, 15 |
the exercise group, 18 | 6 weeks | Falls Self- Efficacy Scale |
No significant changes were found after Tai Chi intervention and the comparison of two groups | / |
|
| ||||||||||
| 2.3 Other population | ||||||||||
| Marko Nedel jkovic, et al (2013) [50] |
Switzerland | healthy adults, 70 | 35.86±8.64 35.13±6.53 |
RCT | 60 min, 2x/wk, Man-Ch'ing's Yang-Style short form, 35 |
waiting list control group, 35 | 12 weeks | Generalized Self- Efficacy Scale |
Self-efficacy improved significantly in Tai Chi group vs. control group | 2/ND/1 |
| Ruth E. Taylor Piliae, et al (2006) [51] |
the United States | ethnic Chinese adults with cardiovascular disease risk factor, 39 | 66±8.3 | quasi- experimental study |
60 min, 3x/wk, Yang Style 24-posture short-form |
/ | 12 weeks | TCSE Scale | Self-efficacy to overcome barriers and confidence to perform Tai Chi significantly improved | / |
N=number of subjects; wk(s), week(s); min(s), minute(s); ND=no data; vs.=versus.