The Interrelationship between Balance, Tai Chi and Depression in Latino Older Adults
June 27, 2016 -
Falls and associated injuries are the most
serious medical problem affecting the functional independence among both White
non-Hispanics and Latino older adults. Studies have shown the effectiveness of
Tai Chi exercise in reducing falls but have primarily focused on White
non-Hispanic older adults. There is limited research that examines the
effectiveness of this exercise on balance among different racial/ethnic minority
older adults.
A study by University of Nebraska Medical
Center focused on the interrelationship between functional status (balance
performance) and psychosocial status (depression) before and after a 12-week Tai
Chi program among Latinos in a Midwestern metropolitan city.
Results indicated that at baseline, prior to
the start of the Tai Chi program, participants who were more depressed had
poorer functional status. Participants who had higher depression at baseline,
experienced greater improvement in functional status, following the 12-week Tai
Chi exercise program, compared with those who had lower levels of depression.
The study is published by the journal
Aging clinical and experimental research
in its June 2016 issue. |