Quality of life in tai chi chuan practitioners in regions of Brazil

Abstract

In Brazil, the supportive scientific evidence along with the increasing Tai Chi Chuan (TCC) popularity has contributed to its current insertion in the complementary integrative practices of the Brazilian Unified Health System. This study aimed to analyze the quality of life in TCC practitioners in several Brazilian cities, to compare the quality of life among cities and between genders, and to investigate if the TCC practice time interferes with the quality of life. The sample consisted of 104 individuals (69 women) who reported regular practice of Yang style TCC at least twice a week for a minimum period of three months. The sample was 50.3 ± 15.4 years old, with practice time of 74.8 ± 50.3 months. We classified the participants as beginners (3-12 months; n = 42), intermediate (12-24 months; n = 17), and advanced (> 24 months; n = 45). The participants answered the Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) questionnaire (Portuguese version) to obtain a measure of quality of life. Based on the results, the practitioners were classified in the SF-36 as “good” and “very good”, with higher scores found in men vs women. Quality of life scores observed were similar among all levels and cities. The health domain that obtained the highest overall score was functional capacity with 89.42 ± 12.21, and the lowest one was the general health status with 66.94 ± 18.08. This is corroborated by international scientific literature, with emphasis on the regular practitioners’ quality of life.