Evidence map›Paper›PMID 30811543›Full record

Trial reportThe Gerontologist2020

Disseminating Tai Chi in the Community: Promoting Home Practice and Improving Balance.

Betty Chewning, Kristine M Hallisy, Jane E Mahoney, Dale Wilson, Nisaratana Sangasubana, Ronald Gangnon

Registry-linked trialAbstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in The Gerontologist, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT04447001 (Improving Balance for Older Adults), which is not on this map. Cited by 21 papers, 6 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
21citing papers in PubMed, 6 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT04447001 nacompletednot on this map

Improving Balance for Older Adults: Disseminating Tai Chi Fundamentals Through Community Organizations

TypeinterventionalSponsorUniversity of Wisconsin, MadisonRan2016 to 2017Enrolled197ConditionsOlder Aged Adults, BalanceArmsTai-chi prime (TCP)
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

21 citing papers in PubMed, 6 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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  7. Article
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  10. Perceived Benefits of an Adaptive Tai Chi Program Among Veterans with Ambulatory Limitations.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2025
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  11. Effectiveness of exercise prescription variables to reduce fall risk among older adults: a meta-analysis.European review of aging and physical activity : official journal of the European Group for Research into Elderly and Physical Activity · 2025
    Review
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Betty ChewningSocial and Administrative Sciences Division, School of Pharmacy.
Kristine M HallisyDoctor of Physical Therapy Program, Department of Family Medicine and Community Health.
Jane E MahoneyDivision of Geriatrics, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine and Public Health.
Dale WilsonSocial and Administrative Sciences Division, School of Pharmacy.
Nisaratana SangasubanaSonderegger Research Center, School of Pharmacy.
Ronald GangnonPopulation Health, Department of Population Health Sciences.

Funding

University of Wisconsin Institute for Clinical and Translational ResearchUL1TR002373 · NCATS · UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON · PI ELIZABETH S BURNSIDE, Allan R. Brasier · 2017 to 2026
$75.9M
Expanding the CAARN to accelerate research on multiple chronic conditions with rural and African-American communities and health-care providersR33AG061699 · NIA · UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON · PI Dorothy Farrar Edwards, Hongrui Jiang · 2019 to 2026
$5.1M
NCATS NIH HHS UL1 TR002373NIA NIH HHS R33 AG061699
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND

objectivesFalls among older adults is a pressing public health challenge. Considerable research documents that longer tai chi courses can reduce falls and improve balance. However, longer courses can be challenging to implement. Our goal was to evaluate whether a short 6-week modified tai chi course could be effective at reducing falls risk if older adults designed a personal home practice plan to receive a greater tai chi "dose" during the 6 weeks.

designA 3-city wait-listed randomized trial was conducted. Habituation Intention and Social Cognitive Theories framed the "coaching" strategy by which participants designed practice plans. RE-AIM and Treatment Fidelity Frameworks were used to evaluate implementation and dissemination issues. Three advisory groups advised the study on intervention planning, implementation, and evaluation. To measure effectiveness, we used Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended measures for falls risk including leg strength, balance, and mobility and gait. In addition, we measured balance confidence and executive function.

resultsProgram Implementation resulted in large class sizes, strong participant retention, high program fidelity and effectiveness. Participants reported practicing an average of 6 days a week and more than 25 min/day. Leg strength, tandem balance, mobility and gait, balance confidence, and executive function were significantly better for the experimental group than control group.

conclusionThe tai chi short course resulted in substantial tai chi practice by older adults outside of class as well as better physical and executive function. The course reach, retention, fidelity, and implementation across 3 cities suggest strong potential for implementation and dissemination of the 6-week course.

Indexed as

Postural BalanceAccidental FallsAgedAged, 80 and overFemaleGaitHumansMaleTai JiBalanceExecutive functionHome practiceTai chi

Identifiers

PMID30811543
PMCPMC7228442

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.