Tai Chi Interventions Promoting Social Support and Interaction Among Older Adults: A Systematic Review.
Yael Koren, Suzanne Leveille, Tongjian You
PMID 34039148WHAT IT FOUND
Group tai chi showed mixed social support results: four studies with social additions such as mentors, music, peer practice, or small-group attention and four without reported improvement, while two did not.
Evidence was low.
Key findings
01Four studies that added features such as mentorship, shared music, peer practice outside class, RN safety monitoring, or small-group attention to group tai chi reported increased social interaction and social support.
02Six studies without social-specific enhancements reported improved social role function or social support in four; two did not show significant improvement.
03Qualitative participants described renewed social roles, togetherness, companionship, and commitment to the group.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The review authors stated the overall evidence was low strength. Seven of the 10 studies had fewer than 50 participants. No comparison group was required, so changes could be due to other factors. Only four studies used enhancements, and the enhancements were not consistent, so the effect of any single addition cannot be separated. Tai chi styles, program length, meeting frequency, and social support measures varied widely. Adherence was not reported in all studies, and its link to social support was unclear. Qualitative studies describe experiences and cannot show that tai chi works.
Declared interests
The publication types indicate NIH extramural research support; the supplied text does not include a conflicts-of-interest declaration.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the review as proof that tai chi improves social support. It included 10 studies with mixed results, low strength of evidence, seven studies with fewer than 50 participants, and varied intervention components, so no single component can be credited.