This study examined the prevalence, patterns, and predictors of t'ai chi and qigong use in the U.S. general population.
Cross-sectional survey.
Data from the 2012 National Health Interview Survey (n = 34,525). Weighted frequencies were used to analyze lifetime and 12-month prevalence and patterns of use. Independent predictors of practice were analyzed by using logistic regression models. Analyzes were conducted in 2015.
The lifetime and 12-month prevalence of t'ai chi/qigong practice were 3.1% and 1.2%, respectively. The 12-month prevalence was associated with age older than 30 years; being African American, Asian, or other ethnic origin; living in the West; being college educated and single; and being a light to heavy alcohol consumer. Almost 39% of users attended formal classes. T'ai chi/qigong was practiced for wellness/disease prevention and to improve energy, immune function, athletic performance, or memory/concentration. Stress, arthritis, and joint problems were the most frequent specific health problems for practice.
Despite an only marginal increase of t'ai chi/qigong practice in the United States over the past 10 years, the proportion of minorities among practitioners has increased significantly. Gaps between clinical application and research are discussed.
This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 4. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 21 February 2018.
All research outputs
#11,642,442
of 33,973,571 outputs
Outputs from Journal of Alternative & Complementary Medicine
#1,366
of 2,450 outputs
Outputs of similar age
#124,670
of 337,355 outputs
Outputs of similar age from Journal of Alternative & Complementary Medicine
#21
of 35 outputs
Altmetric has tracked 33,973,571 research outputs across all sources so far. This one has received more attention than most of these and is in the 64th percentile.
So far Altmetric has tracked 2,450 research outputs from this source. They typically receive a lot more attention than average, with a mean Attention Score of 23.5. This one is in the 42nd percentile – i.e., 42% of its peers scored the same or lower than it.
Older research outputs will score higher simply because they've had more time to accumulate mentions. To account for age we can compare this Altmetric Attention Score to the 337,355 tracked outputs that were published within six weeks on either side of this one in any source. This one has gotten more attention than average, scoring higher than 61% of its contemporaries.
We're also able to compare this research output to 35 others from the same source and published within six weeks on either side of this one. This one is in the 40th percentile – i.e., 40% of its contemporaries scored the same or lower than it.
