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The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of a qigong intervention program on telomerase activity in Chinese women with a history of intimate partner violence.
Qigong is a mind-body exercise rooted in the paradigm of traditional Chinese medicine, aiming to achieve a harmonious flow of energy (qi) in the body through gentle movements and is thus considered as a holistic health practice towards promoting physical and mental well-being and improving longevity. It was suggested that qigong exercise, as a stress management strategy, could be effective in improving psychological symptoms, as well as enhancing cellular telomerase activity by reducing oxidative stress level and regulating immune response.
The study is to evaluate the effects of a qigong intervention on telomerase activity and pro-inflammation cytokines, perceived stress, perceived coping, and depressive symptoms in Chinese women with a history of intimate partner violence. The study design is a randomized, wait-list controlled design with intervention and wait-list control groups. A total of 240 Chinese abused women will be recruited. The qigong intervention program consists of: (i) a 2-hr group qigong training twice a week for 6 weeks; (ii) weekly group follow-up of a 1-hour group qigong exercise for 4 months; and (iii) self-practice of qigong exercise for 30 minutes each day throughout the intervention period lasting 5.5 months. It is hypothesized that the participants in the intervention group will have higher levels of telomerase activity and perceived coping, and lower levels of pro-inflammation cytokines, perceived stress, and depressive symptoms, on completion of a qigong intervention program, compared to abused Chinese women in the wait-list control group.
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| Label | Type | Description | Intervention Names |
|---|---|---|---|
| Qigong training | Experimental | a total of 103 hours over a period of 5.5 months, consisting of:
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| Wait-list control- Health talks | Other | Monthly health education talks unrelated to qigong will be provided starting from the point when the intervention group starts the qigong weekly follow-up.Once the intervention group has completed the qigong intervention program, the wait-list control group will receive the qigong exercise training. |
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| Name | Type | Description | Arm Group Labels | Other Names |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Qigong training | Behavioral | a total of 103 hours over a period of 5.5 months, consisting of:
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| Measure | Description | Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
| Change in telomerase activity | For each participant, 10 ml of peripheral blood will be collected for measurements of telomerase activity at two time points: pre-intervention (T0) and post-intervention (T2) in the intervention group, as well as in wait-list control group before qigong training. | pre-intervention (baseline) and post-intervention (5.5 months later) |
| Measure | Description | Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
| Change in level of pro-inflammatory cytokines | The peripheral blood plasma will also be analyzed for pro-inflammation cytokines TNF-alpha and IL-6 levels. | pre-intervention (baseline) and post-intervention (5.5 months later) |
| Change in perceived stress |
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Inclusion Criteria:
Exclusion Criteria:
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| Name | Affiliation | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Agnes Tiwari, PhD | The University of Hong Kong | Principal Investigator |
| Facility | Status | City | State | ZIP | Country | Contacts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HKSKH Lady MacLehose Center | Hong Kong | China |
| PubMed Identifier | Type | Citation | Retractions |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22736201 | Background | Ho RT, Chan JS, Wang CW, Lau BW, So KF, Yuen LP, Sham JS, Chan CL. A randomized controlled trial of qigong exercise on fatigue symptoms, functioning, and telomerase activity in persons with chronic fatigue or chronic fatigue syndrome. Ann Behav Med. 2012 Oct;44(2):160-70. doi: 10.1007/s12160-012-9381-6. | |
| Background | Zhang GD. The impacts of 48-form tai chi chuan and yi qi yang fei gong on the serum levels of IgG, IgM, IgA, and IgE in human. Journal of Beijing Institute of Physical Education. 1990;4:12-4. | ||
| 20594090 |
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| ID | Term |
|---|---|
| D003863 | Depression |
| ID | Term |
|---|---|
| D001526 | Behavioral Symptoms |
| D001519 | Behavior |
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|
| Wait-list control- Health talks | Other | Monthly health education talks unrelated to qigong will be provided starting from the point when the intervention group starts the qigong weekly follow-up.Once the intervention group has completed the qigong intervention program, the wait-list control group will receive the qigong exercise training. |
|
The 10-item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), the most widely used psychological instrument for measuring the perception of stress, will be used to assess the degree to which situations in life are perceived by the participant as stressful during the past month. |
| pre-intervention (baseline), post-training (6 weeks later) and post-intervention (5.5 months later) |
| Change in perceived coping | The Perceived Coping Scale (PCS) will be used to assess the types and perceived effectiveness of each of the 13 specific strategies used by the participant in dealing with violence perpetrated by her intimate partner. | pre-intervention (baseline), post-training (6 weeks later) and post-intervention (5.5 months later) |
| Change in depressive symptoms | The Chinese version of the Beck Depression Inventory version II (BDI-II) will be used to assess depressive symptoms in the previous two weeks. | pre-intervention (baseline), post-training (6 weeks later) and post-intervention (5.5 months later) |
| Change in sleep disturbance | The Chinese version of the General Sleep Disturbance Scale (GSDS), a 21-item questionnaire, will be used to measure participants' sleep disturbance. | pre-intervention (baseline), post-training (6 weeks later) and post-intervention (5.5 months later) |
| Background |
| Jahnke R, Larkey L, Rogers C, Etnier J, Lin F. A comprehensive review of health benefits of qigong and tai chi. Am J Health Promot. 2010 Jul-Aug;24(6):e1-e25. doi: 10.4278/ajhp.081013-LIT-248. |
| 33551021 | Derived | Cheung DST, Chau PH, Yeung WF, Deng W, Hong AWL, Tiwari AFY. Assessing the effect of a mind-body exercise, qigong Baduanjin, on sleep disturbance among women experiencing intimate partner violence and possible mediating factors: a randomized-controlled trial. J Clin Sleep Med. 2021 May 1;17(5):993-1003. doi: 10.5664/jcsm.9102. |
| 32608505 | Derived | Hameed M, O'Doherty L, Gilchrist G, Tirado-Munoz J, Taft A, Chondros P, Feder G, Tan M, Hegarty K. Psychological therapies for women who experience intimate partner violence. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2020 Jul 1;7(7):CD013017. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD013017.pub2. |
| 30646209 | Derived | Cheung DST, Deng W, Tsao SW, Ho RTH, Chan CLW, Fong DYT, Chau PH, Hong AWL, Fung HYKY, Ma JLC, Tiwari AFY. Effect of a Qigong Intervention on Telomerase Activity and Mental Health in Chinese Women Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Netw Open. 2019 Jan 4;2(1):e186967. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2018.6967. |
| 25127878 | Derived | Tiwari A, Chan CL, Ho RT, Tsao GS, Deng W, Hong AW, Fong DY, Fung HY, Pang EP, Cheung DS, Ma JL. Effect of a qigong intervention program on telomerase activity and psychological stress in abused Chinese women: a randomized, wait-list controlled trial. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2014 Aug 15;14:300. doi: 10.1186/1472-6882-14-300. |