Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41531827›Full record

Trial reportPeerJ2026

Improving exercise motivation and physical fitness in college students through a long-term mindfulness-enhanced Tai Chi Chuan program: a randomized controlled trial.

Ping Qu, Xiaoqing Zhu, Ting Zhu, Hui Zhou, Minghua Huang, Feng Pan, Xiaoyan Wang, Jingsi Wen, Yang Liu, Yu Zhang and 2 more

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in PeerJ, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed, 1 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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
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

12 authors.

Ping Qu *Department of Physical Education, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China.
Xiaoqing Zhu *Department of Psychology, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China.
Ting ZhuDepartment of Physical Education, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China.
Hui ZhouDepartment of Psychology, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China.
Minghua HuangDepartment of Physical Education, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China.
Feng PanDepartment of Physical Education, Shenzhen Polytechnic University, Shenzhen, China.
Xiaoyan WangDepartment of Physical Education, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China.
Jingsi WenDepartment of Sports Science and Physical Education, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
Yang LiuDepartment of Physical Education, Shenzhen Polytechnic University, Shenzhen, China.
Yu ZhangDepartment of Physical Education, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China.
Fangbin LiDepartment of Physical Education, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China.
Yuyin WangDepartment of Psychology, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: While Tai Chi Chuan (TCC) is widely recognized for its physical and mental health benefits, its mindful components are often overlooked in traditional training. Mindfulness-enhanced Tai Chi Chuan (MTCC) has been proposed to address this limitation, yet little research has explored its long-term impact on exercise motivation and physical fitness. This study extends previous findings by investigating the sustained effects of a 24-week MTCC intervention in improving physical and mental health outcomes among college students, with a focus on long-term sustainability and motivation maintenance that distinguishes it from our prior short-term research. Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted with 80 college students assigned to either an MTCC group or a traditional TCC group. Seventy-one participants completed the allocated intervention, while nine participants dropped out for personal reasons. No serious adverse events (SAEs) were reported. The MTCC program was delivered in two stages over 24 weekly sessions. The first stage introduced participants to mindfulness-enhanced Taiyi Mirrored-heart Chuan, emphasizing foundational postures and mindfulness principles. The second stage involved traditional TCC training to consolidate the skills and motivation gained during the first stage. Outcome measures, including exercise motivation, physical fitness, mindfulness and subjective well-being, were assessed pre- and post-intervention. Results: Repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) indicated that participants in the MTCC group demonstrated significantly greater improvements in all measured outcomes compared to the traditional TCC group. Specifically, the 24-week intervention showed larger effect sizes in physical fitness ( Conclusion: These findings highlight the long-term benefits of integrating mindfulness into TCC practice, particularly in fostering intrinsic motivation for physical activity and enhancing overall well-being. The study underscores the potential of MTCC as a sustainable intervention for promoting holistic health in college students and its applicability in educational and wellness settings. Clinical review registration: https://www.chictr.org.cn/, identifier ChiCTR2200058449.

Indexed as

ExerciseMindfulnessMotivationPhysical FitnessStudentsTai JiAdolescentAdultFemaleHumansMaleUniversitiesYoung AdultExercise motivationMindfulnessPhysical fitnessTai Chi Chuan

Identifiers

PMID41531827
PMCPMC12794632

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.