Effect of a Home-Based Simplified Tai Chi Exercise Program on Sleep Quality, Daytime Sleepiness, Quality of Life, and Psychological Well-Being in Egyptian Older Adults: A Quasi-Experimental Study.

Abstract

Introduction:Sleep disturbances are common among older adults and can have detrimental effects on their overall well-being. Tai Chi exercise has shown promise in improving sleep quality, quality of life (QoL), and psychological well-being in various populations.Objective:To investigate the effect of a home-based simplified Tai Chi exercise program on sleep quality, daytime sleepiness, QoL, and psychological well-being in Egyptian older adults.Methods:A quasi-experimental design was employed, with 152 participants aged 60 years and above assigned to either an experimental group (n= 87) or a control group (n= 65). Thecontrol group received a health education program to improve their sleeping quality and life-style, while the experimental group received a similar health education program and Tai Chi exercise training program. The participants in the experimental group were instructed to perform 3 months Tai Chi exercise. Data on sleep quality, daytime sleepiness, QoL, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), and depression symptoms were collected at baseline, and one month, and 3 months post-intervention using validated questionnaires. Repeated measures ANOVA was done to investigate the effectiveness of the intervention programsover 3 time periods.Results:The results showed significant improvements in sleep quality (p< .001), QoL (p< .005), GAD (p< .005), and depression symptoms (p< .005) post-interventions. Also, there were significant difference in the effectiveness of the intervention programs between both the experimental and control groups. The experimental group exhibited greater improvements compared to the control group.Conclusion:The findings support the beneficial effects of a home-based simplified Tai Chi exercise program on sleep quality, QoL, and psychological well-being in Egyptian older adults. These results have important implications for promoting healthy aging and improving overall well-being in this population. Further research is recommended to validate these findings and explore the underlying mechanisms of Tai Chi exercise on the outcomes of interest.