Preprint / Version 1

Elderly quality of life impacted by traditional chinese medicine techniques

Authors

  • Helena Figueira ABACO/Sohaku-in Institute, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil;
  • Olivia Figueira IPEMED – Medical Research and Teaching Institute, Belo Horizonte, Brazil;
  • Alan Figueira ABACO/Sohaku-in Institute, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil;
  • Joana Figueira ABACO/Sohaku-in Institute, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil;
  • Tania Giani ABACO/Sohaku-in Institute, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil;
  • Estélio Dantas LABIMH/UNIRio – Laboratory of Biomedical Human Kinetics/Rio de Janeiro Federal University, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil;

Keywords:

quality of life, traditional chinese medicine, east-west medicine, WHOQOL-Old, elderly

Abstract

The shift in age structure is having a profound impact, suggesting that the aged should be consulted as reporters on the quality of their own lives. Objectives: The aim of this research was to establish the possible impact of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) techniques on the quality of life (QOL) of the elderly. Sample: Two non-selected, volunteer groups of Rio de Janeiro municipality inhabitants: a control group (36 individuals), not using TCM, and an experimental group (28 individuals), using TCM at ABACO/Sohaku-in Institute, Brazil. Methods: A questionnaire on elderly QOL devised by the World Health Organization, the WHOQOL-Old, was adopted and descriptive statistical techniques were used: mean and standard deviation. The Shapiro–Wilk test checked the normality of the distribution. Furthermore, based on its normality distribution for the intergroup comparison, the Student t test was applied to facets 2, 4, 5, 6, and total score, and the Mann–Whitney U rank test to facets 1 and 3, both tests aiming to analyze the P value between experimental and control groups. The significance level utilized was 95% (P < 0.05). Results: The experimental group reported the highest QOL for every facet and the total score. Conclusions: The results suggest that TCM raises the level of QOL. Keywords: quality of life, traditional chinese medicine, east-west medicine, WHOQOL-Old, elderly

Author Biographies

Helena Figueira, ABACO/Sohaku-in Institute, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil;

REMH – Euroamerican Network of Human Kinetics, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Alan Figueira, ABACO/Sohaku-in Institute, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil;

UFF, Federal Fluminense University, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil;

Tania Giani, ABACO/Sohaku-in Institute, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil;

REMH – Euroamerican Network of Human Kinetics, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Estélio Dantas, LABIMH/UNIRio – Laboratory of Biomedical Human Kinetics/Rio de Janeiro Federal University, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil;

REMH – Euroamerican Network of Human Kinetics, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

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