Table 4.
Comparisons of the sample, Tai Ji Quan intervention, and study characteristics between Tai Ji Quan trials published in Chinese and English.
| Published in Chinese (k = 13) |
Published in English (k = 18) |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| k | Mean ± SDa | k | Mean ± SDa | |
| Sample characteristics | ||||
| Age (year) | 8 | 51.9 ± 14.9 | 15 | 59.2 ± 16.3 |
| Female (%) | 10 | 78.3 ± 23.9 | 16 | 64.0 ± 18.7 |
| BMI (kg/m2) | 6 | 24.4 ± 1.6 | 12 | 24.6 ± 1.7 |
| Baseline SBP (mmHg) | 13 | 139.1 ± 16.0 | 18 | 135.3 ± 14.8 |
| Baseline DBP (mmHg) | 13 | 87.4 ± 10.3 | 18 | 80.5 ± 6.0⁎ |
| No Tai Ji Quan practice in the past 6 months (%) | 1 | 7.7 | 6 | 33.3 |
| Tai Ji Quan intervention characteristics | ||||
| Time (min/session) | 12 | 47.9 ± 13.7 | 17 | 58.4 ± 4.5⁎ |
| Weekly time (min) | 12 | 210.0 ± 77.4 | 18 | 215.3 ± 90.1 |
| Total time of intervention (min) | 12 | 4016.7 ± 2760.1 | 18 | 4481.5 ± 3135.3 |
| Frequency (sessions/week) | 13 | 4.6 ± 1.2 | 17 | 3.6 ± 1.5 |
| Intervention length (week) | 13 | 21.8 ± 25.2 | 18 | 22.6 ± 16.6 |
| Reported intensity of Tai Ji Quan practice (%) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5.5 |
| Did emphasize movement principles (%) | 1 | 7.7 | 3 | 16.7 |
| Did emphasize breathing (%) | 4 | 30.8 | 2 | 11.1 |
| Did emphasize relaxation (%) | 1 | 7.7 | 2 | 11.1 |
| Study characteristics | ||||
| Sample size | 13 | 73.8 ± 35.1 | 18 | 125.8 ± 87.1 |
| Publication year | 13 | 2011.1 ± 3.8 | 18 | 2011.4 ± 5.7 |
| Methodological study quality (%) | 13 | 37.0 ± 10.8 | 18 | 60.0 ± 12.6⁎ |
| Adopted RCT design (%) | 4 | 30.8 | 11 | 61.1 |
| BP was primary outcome (%) | 12 | 92.3 | 12 | 66.7 |
| SE of the SBP response to Tai Ji Quan | 13 | 0.28 ± 0.08 | 18 | 0.22 ± 0.08⁎ |
| SE of the DBP response to Tai Ji Quan | 13 | 0.27 ± 0.08 | 18 | 0.22 ± 0.08 |
Abbreviations: BP = blood pressure; BMI = body mass index; DBP = diastolic blood pressure; RCT = randomized controlled trials; SBP = systolic blood pressure; SE = standard error.
Note: a
For categorical variables, Means and SDs were not applicable; instead, percentages of the number of observations in the identified categories in relation to the total sample (i.e., 13 and 18 for trials published in Chinese and English, respectively) were reported.
⁎
p < 0.05, based on analysis of variance test for continuous variables and Pearson's χ2 test for categorical variables.