Paper
Saturday, July 24, 2004
The Development of the Simplified Tai-Chi Exercise Program (STEP)
Kuei-Min Chen, RN, PhD, Jung-Chien Yang, MS, Wen-Ting Chen, MS, Min-Feng Huang, MS, and Tzu-Hui Liu, BS. Department of Nursing, Fooyin University, Kaohsiung Hsien, Taiwan
| Learning Objective #1: Understand the differences between various styles of Tai Chi and the Simplified Tai-Chi Exercise Program |
| Learning Objective #2: Describe the process of conducting focus group interviews and Delphi techniques |
Objective: Tai Chi has documented the positive effects it has on the well-being of the elders. However, various styles of Tai Chi exist with some forms require higher level of physical activity and are too complicated to learn. The purpose of this study was to develop a simplified Tai Chi exercise program (STEP) for the institutional frail elders. Design: Descriptive study with focus group interview and Delphi techniques. Population, Sample, Setting, Years: In the first phase, 40 Taiwanese institutional frail elders (18 of whom practiced Tai Chi and 22 who did not) were interviewed. In the second phase, 10 Tai Chi experts (4 Tai Chi masters, 2 gerontological nursing scholars, 2 athletic scholars, and 2 gerontological clinical practitioners) were consulted. Concept or Variables Studied Together or Intervention and Outcome Variables: Tai Chi intervention program. Methods: Using focus group interview, 40 Taiwanese frail elders were interviewed in seven focus groups to explore their viewpoints on Tai Chi movements, Tai Chi exercise intensity, and Tai Chi practice preferences. The elders perspectives of the STEP were then validated with 10 Tai Chi experts using Delphi technique. Findings: Based on elders perspectives and Tai Chi experts suggestions, the STEP was developed, which included three stages: (1) warm-up, which contains 9 exercises specifically design to loosen up the body; (2) simplified Tai Chi movement, which contains 12 movements; (3) cool-down, which includes 3 activities to rest the body. Results also revealed that most of the elders preferred to practice Tai Chi in a group of 10 to 20 people, twice a week, 31 to 60 minutes per practice. Conclusions & Implications: The STEP generated from this study can be further disseminated to various long-term care facilities to activate the frail elders, lighten up their daily life, enhance their well-being, and improve their quality of life.
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Sigma Theta Tau International
July 22-24, 2004