T'ai Chi and Qigong for Health: Patterns of Use in the United States

Abstract

Background Little is known in the United States about those who practice t’ai chi and qigong, two mind–body techniques that originated in Asia. Objective The objective of this study is to characterize use of t’ai chi and qigong for health with regard to sociodemographics, health status, medical conditions, perceptions of helpfulness, and disclosure of use to medical professionals. Methods We analyzed associations of t’ai chi and qigong use for health using cross-sectional data from the 2002 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) Alternative Medicine Supplement (n = 31,044). The 2002 NHIS estimated the number of t’ai chi and qigong users for health to be 2.5 and 0.5 million persons, respectively. We collapsed t’ai chi and qigong use into a single category (TCQ) for analysis, representing 2.8 million individuals. Results We found that neither age nor sex was associated with TCQ use. TCQ users were more likely than nonusers to be Asian than white (odds ratio [OR] 2.02, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.30–3.15), college educated (OR 2.44, 95% CI 1.97–3.03), and less likely to live in the Midwest (OR 0.64, 95% CI 0.42–0.96) or the southern United States (OR 0.51, 95% CI 0.36–0.72) than the West. TCQ use was associated independently with higher reports of musculoskeletal conditions (OR 1.43, 95% CI 1.11–1.83), severe sprains (OR 1.65, 95% CI 1.14–2.40), and asthma (OR 1.50, 95% CI 1.08–2.10). Half of TCQ users also used yoga for health in the last 12 months. Most TCQ users reported their practice to be important to maintain health, but only a quarter of users disclosed their practice to a medical professional. Conclusions In the United States, TCQ is practiced for health by a diverse population, and users report benefits for maintaining health. Further research is needed to establish efficacy and safety for target populations, including those with musculoskeletal and pulmonary disease, as well as for preventive health.

Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine and Self-Rated Health Status: Results from a National Survey

“…We found, similar to previous reports 61,63 , that CAM users in general reported more health problems in the prior year as evidenced by an increased number of clinical conditions included in the Charlson Comorbidity Index and Kessler Score. CAM users also reported higher numbers of visits to health care offices and emergency rooms and days spent in bed in the prior year.…”

“…We used socio-demographic covariates identified in previous studies as significantly correlated with use of CAM therapies 57,60,61 as the first set of explanatory variables, and then added clinical and behavioral variables to see how these health-related individual characteristic would affect the model. We retained the following socio-demographic factors in the model (age, sex, education, race/ ethnic, birth region, and residence region) as well as covariates with p-values ≤ 0.20.…”

T'ai Chi as Exercise Among Middle-Aged and Elderly Chinese in Urban China

“…4 Among adults in the United States, t'ai chi use is associated with chronic medical conditions. 5 Further study of individuals who practice t'ai chi may help identify potential health benefits and inform future clinical research. The purpose of this study was to characterize sociodemographic factors, health behaviors, and medical conditions among individuals who practice t'ai chi in Shanghai China, utilizing data from the Shanghai Women's Health Study (SWHS) and Shanghai Men's Health Study (SMHS), two population-based prospective cohort studies.…”

Complementary and Alternative Medicine in the Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis

“…According to the 2007 National Health Interview Survey, around 2.5 million Americans have practiced Tai Chi for health reasons and that number is increasing (Barnes et al, 2009). Furthermore, individuals with musculoskeletal conditions are more likely to practice Tai Chi (Birdee et al, 2009). It is clear that our patients with rheumatic disease are interested in seeking this type of complementary and alternative treatment.…”