Baduanjin for alleviating anxiety symptoms in elderly cancer patients: An intervention survey study
Abstract
This study aimed to evaluate the effect of the Baduanjin intervention on alleviating anxiety symptoms in elderly cancer patients. Methods: Participants were randomly assigned to either the experimental group or the control group using a random grouping method. The Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7 (GAD-7), World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) scales were utilized to assess the elderly cancer patients before the intervention (T0), at the end of the intervention (T1), and during a follow-up survey (T2) one month later. Results: The GAD-7, WHOQOL-BREF, and PSQI scores for the experimental group at T1 and T2 were significantly lower than those of the control group (p < 0.05). These effects were sustained to a certain extent, among which GAD-7 (T1: 4.2 ± 1.7; T2: 4.5 ± 1.9; Cohen’s d: −4.11 and −4.08). Among the four domains of the WHOQOL-BREF, the physical health domain (T1: 4.30 ± 0.85; T2: 4.10 ± 0.80; Cohen’s d: 0.61 and 0.60), the mental health domain (T1: 4.20 ± 0.75; T2: 4.00 ± 0.70; Cohen’s d: 0.65 and 0.55), the social relationship domain (T1: 4.80 ± 0.50; T2: 4.70 ± 0.55; Cohen’s d: −1.27 and 0.07), and the environmental domain (T1: 4.20 ± 0.70; T2: 4.10 ± 0.75; Cohen’s d: 0.76 and −0.64) were assessed. Additionally, the PSQI scores (T1: 9.0 ± 2.8; T2: 9.5 ± 3.0; Cohen’s d: −1.89 and −1.63). These findings demonstrate that Baduanjin is an effective and sustainable non-pharmacological intervention for elderly cancer patients. Conclusion: Baduanjin represents a safe and effective psychological intervention for elderly cancer patients and possesses significant clinical application potential. However, the study’s limitations, including the small sample size and lack of detailed mechanistic analysis, should be considered when interpreting these results.
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