Tai Chi Exercise to Improve Quality of Life and Depression in Elderly With Sarcopenia

Hasanuddin University40 enrolled

Overview

This study aims to evaluate the effects of Tai Chi exercise on quality of life and depressive symptoms in elderly with sarcopenia. Sarcopenia is characterized by a progressive decline in skeletal muscle mass and muscle strength, which may contribute to impaired physical function, reduced quality of life, and an increased risk of adverse health outcomes among older adults. Specifically, this study investigates the effects of an eight-week Tai Chi exercise program on health-related quality of life, assessed using the Sarcopenia Quality of Life (SarQoL) questionnaire, and depressive symptoms, assessed using the Geriatric Depression Scale-15 (GDS-15), in elderly individuals diagnosed with sarcopenia. The primary research question of this study is whether an eight-week Tai Chi exercise program can improve quality of life and reduce depressive symptoms in elderly individuals with sarcopenia. Furthermore, this study aims to determine whether Tai Chi exercise results in greater improvements in SarQoL scores and GDS-15 scores compared with a control group participating in standard elderly exercise.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

TRIPLE

Enrollment

Conditions

Sarcopenia in Elderly

Interventions

The intervention group served as the experimental arm and participated in a Tai Chi exercise program. Each of their exercise sessions was led by a Tai Chi instructor and lasted for approximately 60 minutes, which consisted of a 10-minute warm-up, 30 minutes of core exercises, and a 10-minute cool-down. The participants in this group completed these training sessions three times a week over an eight-week period. After completion of the eight-week intervention period, post-intervention assessments were conducted in both groups using the same outcome measures as at baseline. Changes in sarcopenia-related quality of life, assessed using the Sarcopenia Quality of Life (SarQoL) questionnaire, and depressive symptoms, assessed using the Geriatric Depression Scale-15 (GDS-15), were evaluated and compared between the Tai Chi and elderly exercise groups.

Elderly exercise (senam lansia)BEHAVIORAL

The control group was established to compare the effectiveness of Tai Chi against a more conventional physical activity. Participants in this group engaged in a standard elderly exercise program (senam lansia). Their sessions were also guided by an instructor but had a shorter duration, lasting for approximately 30 minutes per session. Just like the intervention group, they performed these exercises three times a week for a total of eight weeks. After completion of the eight-week intervention period, post-intervention assessments were conducted in both groups using the same outcome measures as at baseline. Changes in sarcopenia-related quality of life, assessed using the Sarcopenia Quality of Life (SarQoL) questionnaire, and depressive symptoms, assessed using the Geriatric Depression Scale-15 (GDS-15), were evaluated and compared between the Tai Chi and elderly exercise groups.

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 60 Years

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * Aged 60 years or older * Meets the diagnostic criteria for sarcopenia based on the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia (AWGS). * Willing to participate in the study, capable of understanding the informed consent, and physically able to perform Tai Chi movements. * Must be a resident of Makassar. * Has either never participated in Tai Chi, or has previous experience with Tai Chi but stopped practicing for more than 4 weeks (ensuring they are not currently active practitioners). Exclusion Criteria: * Cognitive impairment, indicated by a Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score of 23 or lower. * Hearing and/or speech impairments that make communication difficult. Presence of severe chronic diseases, such as heart failure, end-stage chronic kidney disease, malignancy, or the use of a pacemaker. * Presence of edema (fluid retention/swelling). * Experiencing lower extremity (leg) pain with a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) score of 5 or greater.

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Sarcopenia Quality of Life (SarQoL) questionnaire

This outcome measures health-related quality of life in older adults with sarcopenia using the Sarcopenia Quality of Life (SarQoL) questionnaire. The SarQoL questionnaire consists of 55 items covering seven domains: physical and mental health, locomotion, body composition, functionality, activities of daily living, leisure activities, and fears. The questionnaire generates a total SarQoL index score ranging from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating better sarcopenia-related quality of life. The validated scoring algorithm is used to calculate the overall SarQoL index score.

Time frame: Baseline (Week 0) and post-intervention (Week 8)

Geriatric Depression Scale-15 (GDS-15)

This outcome measures depressive symptoms in older adults using the 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15). Each item is answered with a yes/no response and scored according to the established scoring criteria, with a total score ranging from 0 to 15. Higher scores indicate a greater severity of depressive symptoms. The GDS-15 is used to assess changes in depressive symptoms following the eight-week intervention.