Tai Chi as a Novel Strategy to Increase Physical Activity Among Adults Pursuing Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery

Launched by HARTFORD HOSPITAL · Jun 4, 2024

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is exploring how effective a 10-week Tai Chi program can be for people who are physically inactive and looking to have weight loss surgery. The program includes both in-person classes and online video resources to help participants learn and practice Tai Chi. The researchers want to find out if people will attend the classes regularly (at least 70% of the time) and if they enjoy the experience, rating it positively on a simple scale from 1 to 5.

To join the study, participants need to be between 18 and 70 years old, have a body mass index (BMI) of 35 or higher, and be seeking weight loss surgery. They should also be able to understand English, as the classes will be conducted in English. Participants will take part in four individual visits for assessments and attend weekly group Tai Chi classes. They will practice Tai Chi at home using provided videos and keep a log of their practice. This trial is currently recruiting participants who meet these criteria, and it aims to help improve physical activity before surgery.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • 1. Seeking to undergo MBS at HHC.
• • 2. Be able to give valid informed consent in English. Attending the live, in-person, group TC classes each week is the main component of the intervention. During the classes, the TC instructor will be giving instructions and communicating with the participants in English. It is not practical to having an interpreter during the live classes. Therefore, participation is limited to those who are English speakers.
• • 3. Be 18-70 years of age.
• • 4. Have BMI≥35 kg/m2
• • 5. Absence of cognitive impairment since participants will need to learn and memorize the TC forms. Must score ≥24 Mini-Mental State Examination.
• • 6. Be physically inactive defined as performing \<150 min/wk of moderate to vigorous intensity PA based on self-report.
• • 7. Be able to ambulate independently without use of an assistive device.
• • 8. Be able to complete questionnaires and view TC instructional videos via REDCap.
• • 9. Be able to commute to one of the HH Medical and Surgical Weight Loss Center clinics to participate in testing sessions and in-person TC classes.
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • 1. Having severe psychological or physical conditions that may impair their ability to adhere to the study protocol such as uncontrolled mental health issues, and severe arthritis.
• • 2. Pregnant women.