Caldwell KL, et al. – This research performed an enquiry with regard to the feasibility and estimation of the effect of a 10–week Tai Chi Chuan (TCC) intervention, on anxiety and sleep quality in young adults. Based on the findings, the inference drawn was that TCC could serve as an effective nonpharmaceutical technique of improving anxiety and poor sleep quality in young adults.

Methods

• The enrollees included seventy-five adults (18-40 years) from a predominately undergraduate mid-sized university.
• The design of this research was an assessor blinded, randomized feasibility trial.
• The candidates were randomized into one of three groups: 10 weeks of TCC meeting 2 times per week, 10 weeks of TCC with a DVD of the curriculum, and control group receiving a handout on anxiety management.
• Anxiety and sleep quality were assessed 4 times: Baseline, 4 weeks, 10 weeks (immediate post-intervention), and 2 months post-intervention.
• Retention was defined as a participant attending the baseline assessment and at least one other assessment.
• Adherence to the intervention was set a priori as attendance at 80% of the TCC classes.

Results

• 85% enrollees were retained during the intervention and 70% completed the 2 month follow-up assessments.
• The two TCC groups were combined in the analyses of anxiety and sleep quality measures, for raising the statistical power.
• There were no marked variations in anxiety among the control group.
• The levels of anxiety decreased considerably over time in the two TCC groups.
• Sleep quality scores improved across time for all three groups.
• Nonetheless, adherent TCC participants demonstrated greater improvement than the control group.