The beneficial effect of Tai Chi on self‐concept in adolescents

Abstract

Previous research has documented the beneficial effect of Tai Chi, but most of the studies focused on elders and patients with specific health conditions. The aim of the study was to test whether Tai Chi can help to improve self-concept in adolescents with a longitudinal study. The sample comprised 160 students from a Chinese middle school; half of students formed the experimental group and the rest formed the control group. A 1-year Tai Chi intervention was delivered in 60-minute sessions, five times a week. Both groups were instructed to complete the measure of self-concept at the beginning and end of the intervention. Statistical analysis shows the significant reduction of good behaviour, intellectual and school status, popularity and anxiety in the experimental group compared with the control group. The results suggest that the Tai Chi intervention could improve self-concept in adolescents.

Effects of Tai Chi and Qigong in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review of Trials

“…Combined, these studies included 696 participants (Table 1), with 360 youths participating in the Tai Chi or Qigong intervention arm and 336 in the comparator arm. Although one study did not report gender of participants (Bao and Jin 2015), approximately 54% of the included participant were girls. Mean age of the participants in these studies ranged from 8 (Lozada et al 2014) to 14.8 (Bao and Jin 2015) years.…”

“…Target sample populations were varied, with three studies were targeting the general student body (Bao and Jin 2015;Lee et al 2013;Witt et al 2005), one targeting musicians (Sousa et al 2012), and five targeting youth population with specific conditions, including those who had learning disabilities and behavioral problems (Baron and Faubert 2005), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (Stephens et al 2008), or who were overweight or obese (Tsang et al 2009a(Tsang et al , b, 2010(Tsang et al , 2013. In the Tai Chi or Qigong arm, nine studies did not report adherence, while four did, with adherence ranging from 42 to 90%.…”

“…Two studies reported using Yang-style (24 forms) Tai Chi (Bao and Jin 2015;Tsang et al 2009aTsang et al , b, 2010Tsang et al , 2013 or Chenstyle (Chang et al 2011;Lee et al 2013), with five having Qigong intervention (Singh-Grewal et al 2007;Sousa et al 2012;Stephens et al 2008;Terjestam et al 2010;Witt et al 2005).…”

“…Five of the included studies were noted as randomized controlled trials (Bao and Jin 2015;Chang et al 2008;Singh-Grewal et al 2007;Stephens et al 2008;Tsang et al 2009aTsang et al , b, 2010Tsang et al , 2013, two allowed for selfselection of trial arm (Lee et al 2013;Sousa et al 2012), and three were in schools were the study coordinators or schools choose the allocation of treatment to the classroom (Lozada et al 2014;Terjestam et al 2010;Witt et al 2005). Two studies were single-arm trials (Baron and Faubert 2005;Hernandez-Reif et al 2001) with no comparator.…”

“…Two studies were single-arm trials (Baron and Faubert 2005;Hernandez-Reif et al 2001) with no comparator. Of those with a comparator arm, four studies had an active comparator arm (Kung Fu (Tsang et al 2009a(Tsang et al , b, 2010(Tsang et al , 2013, China's 8th edition broadcasting gymnastics (Bao and Jin 2015), and vigorous aerobic training (Singh-Grewal et al 2007;Stephens et al 2008)), while three had routine classroom activity (Lozada et al 2014;Terjestam et al 2010;Witt et al 2005) or an additional schoolwork study period (Lee et al 2013). One study had a waitlist control arm (Sousa et Singh-Grewal et al 2007;Sousa et al 2012;Stephens et al 2008).…”