University of Bern, Institute of Complementary Medicine KIKOM, 3010 Bern, Switzerland; E-mail:
J Integr Med. 2013 Sep;11(5):295-304. doi: 10.3736/jintegrmed2013046.
In recent years research investigating various health benefits of Taiji practice has markedly increased. Despite this growing scientific interest, essential questions such as to what extent a Taiji course may exert noticeable effects in participants' everyday life, what these effects are, and how and where potential transfer effects occur, have hardly been considered. The aim of our study was to explore transfer effects from a Taiji course into participants' daily lives.
We conducted a longitudinal observational study in 45 healthy participants at the end of their three-month Taiji beginner course (tp1) and at two months (tp2) as well as one year after course completion (tp3). Participants were asked to report their Taiji practice behavior at all time points, as well as to rate and describe perceived transfer effects of Taiji course contents on their daily life at tp1 and tp3.
Transfer effects were reported by 91.1% of all respondents after course completion (tp1) and persisted in 73.3% at the one-year follow-up assessment (tp3), counting "increase of self-efficacy", "improvement of stress management", and "increase of body awareness" as the most frequently mentioned effects. Transfer effects predominantly occurred in participants' work and social environments, as well as during everyday activities in public areas. While self-reliant Taiji practice frequency significantly decreased from 82.2% at tp1 to 55.6% at tp3 (P < 0.001), the magnitude of self-reported transfer effects did not (P = 0.35). As explorative analyses revealed, regular Taiji course attendance was highly correlated with stronger transfer effects at tp1 (r = 0.51; P < 0.001) and tp3 (r = 0.35; P = 0.020). Participants reporting high self-reliant Taiji practice frequency at tp2 were likely to maintain a regular practice routine at tp3 (r = 0.42; P < 0.004), whereas self-reliant practice frequency and transfer effects at tp1 were positively correlated with self-reliant practice frequency at tp3 on a trend level (r < 0.27; P > 0.08).
Our data underline the importance of regular course participation for pronounced and long lasting transfer effects into participants' everyday life. We discuss that several context and process-related aspects of a Taiji intervention are potentially relevant factors for enhancement of transfer effect.
近年来，研究太极拳对各种健康益处的研究显著增加。尽管科学界对此越来越感兴趣，但仍有一些基本问题尚未得到解答，例如太极拳课程在参与者日常生活中能产生多大的明显效果，这些效果是什么，以及潜在的转移效应是如何发生的。本研究旨在探讨太极拳课程对参与者日常生活的转移效应。
我们在 45 名健康参与者结束为期三个月的太极拳初学者课程（tp1）后的两个月（tp2）和一年后（tp3）进行了一项纵向观察研究。要求参与者在所有时间点报告他们的太极拳练习行为，并在 tp1 和 tp3 时评估和描述太极拳课程内容对他们日常生活的转移效果。
课程结束后（tp1），所有受访者中有 91.1%报告了转移效应，一年后的随访评估（tp3）中仍有 73.3%报告了转移效应，其中“自我效能感提高”、“压力管理改善”和“身体意识提高”是最常提及的效果。转移效应主要发生在参与者的工作和社会环境中，以及在公共区域的日常活动中。虽然自主太极拳练习频率从 tp1 的 82.2%显著下降到 tp3 的 55.6%（P < 0.001），但自我报告的转移效应的程度没有变化（P = 0.35）。探索性分析表明，定期参加太极拳课程与 tp1（r = 0.51；P < 0.001）和 tp3（r = 0.35；P = 0.020）时更强的转移效应高度相关。在 tp2 时报告自主太极拳练习频率较高的参与者，很可能在 tp3 时保持规律的练习习惯（r = 0.42；P < 0.004），而 tp1 时的自主太极拳练习频率和转移效应与 tp3 时的自主太极拳练习频率呈正相关趋势（r < 0.27；P > 0.08）。
我们的数据强调了定期参加课程对太极拳对参与者日常生活产生显著和持久的转移效应的重要性。我们认为，太极拳干预的几个与背景和过程相关的方面是增强转移效应的潜在相关因素。
