The effect of Tai Chi exercise on physical and psychological health of college students with persistent fatigue after COVID-19 infection: A randomized controlled trial

IF 3.5 3区医学 Q1 PUBLIC, ENVIRONMENTAL & OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH

Public Health Pub Date : 2026-02-01 Epub Date: 2025-12-13 DOI:10.1016/j.puhe.2025.106105

Jingyu Sun, Ke Yao, Hang Chu, Jiajia Chen, Changhong Du, Bin Li, Zhijie Yu, Ziqi Zhang, Tao Chen

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Objectives

This study aims to examine the impact of a 16-week Tai Chi program on the physical and mental health of college students (ages 18–20 years) with post-COVID-19 fatigue symptoms.

Study design

A randomized controlled trial.

Methods

Seventy students were randomly assigned to either a Tai Chi group (n = 35), participating in a 16-week Tai Chi exercise program (3 × 90 min/week), or a control group (n = 35), maintaining their usual routines. Physical and mental health were assessed before and after using various scales, including the Fatigue Scale 14, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Hamilton Anxiety Scale, the 10-item Kessler Psychological Distress Scale, Perceived Stress Scale, Self-Rating Depression Scale, the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey questionnaire (SF-36), International Physical Activity Questionnaire, and physical fitness data.

Results

The Tai Chi group showed significant improvements in fatigue, physical functioning (SF-36), balance (one foot with eyes closed), and squat performance compared to the control group (p < 0.05). Sleep quality, habitual sleep efficiency, physical and social functioning, total physical activity, high-intensity activity, flexibility, and core strength (e.g., sit-ups) also improved significantly (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

Tai Chi effectively reduces fatigue and enhances physical fitness, balance, and sleep in college students with post-COVID-19 fatigue symptoms.

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太极拳运动对新型冠状病毒感染后持续性疲劳大学生身心健康的影响：一项随机对照试验

目的：本研究旨在探讨为期16周的太极拳运动对新冠肺炎后疲劳症状大学生（18-20岁）身心健康的影响。研究设计：随机对照试验。方法：70名学生被随机分配到太极拳组（n = 35），参加为期16周的太极拳锻炼计划（3 × 90分钟/周），或对照组（n = 35），保持他们的日常活动。采用疲劳量表14、匹兹堡睡眠质量指数、汉密尔顿焦虑量表、10项Kessler心理困扰量表、感知压力量表、抑郁自评量表、36项简短健康调查问卷（SF-36）、国际体育活动问卷和体能数据，对前后的身心健康状况进行评估。结果：与对照组相比，太极拳组在疲劳、身体功能（SF-36）、平衡（单脚闭眼）和深蹲表现方面均有显著改善(p)。结论：太极拳能有效减轻疲劳，增强新冠肺炎后疲劳症状大学生的体质、平衡和睡眠。

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来源期刊

Public Health 医学-公共卫生、环境卫生与职业卫生

CiteScore

7.60

自引率

0.00%

发文量

280

审稿时长

37 days

期刊介绍： Public Health is an international, multidisciplinary peer-reviewed journal. It publishes original papers, reviews and short reports on all aspects of the science, philosophy, and practice of public health.