Table 1.
Demographic and clinical characteristics of the study participants at baseline *.
| Wu-Style Tai Chi | Simplified Tai Chi | p Value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Characteristic | (n = 30) | (n = 30) | |
| Gender (female/male) | 12/18 | 12/18 | 1.000 |
| Age-year | 57.77 ± 9.46 | 57.20 ± 9.00 | 0.813 |
| Education Years † | 9.33 ± 2.84 | 9.03 ± 2.50 | 0.666 |
| Body mass index ‡ | 23.51 ± 2.32 | 23.83 ± 2.40 | 0.604 |
| Duration of disease—y | 3.92 ± 1.99 | 3.80 ± 2.05 | 0.824 |
| Chronic disease stages (no./n) § | 0.953 | ||
| Stage 1 | 11/30 | 12/30 | |
| Stage 2 | 10/30 | 9/30 | |
| Stage 3 | 9/30 | 9/30 | |
| Self-reported coexisting number of chronic diseases | 1.63 ± 1.13 | 1.73 ± 1.11 | 0.731 |
* Plus–minus values are means ±SD with the 95% confidence intervals. The chi-square test was used for categorical variables, and one-way analysis of variance for continuous variables. There were no significant between-group differences in any baseline characteristics. † High school or higher education; ‡ The body mass index is the weight in kilograms divided by the square of the height in meters; § We randomized 66 patients with stage 1 to 3 disease on a staging scale to one of the following two groups. In recent years, the medical community has formed a three-stage prevention program for early detection, early treatment, and prevention of chronic disease prevention and treatment.