Yoga and Tai chi: a cross-cultural comparative study of health benefits, cultural sustainability, and global public health implications
Abstract
Background: The escalating burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) demands cross-culturally adaptive interventions. Yoga (India) and Tai Chi (China) are both valuable mind-body practices. However, their distinct health governance pathways have not been systematically compared.
Objectives: This study aimed to: (1) decipher differential health promotion mechanisms (cardiopulmonary/pain/anxiety outcomes); (2) quantitative assessment of the different trade-offs in cultural sustainability (analyzing the communication characteristics under market-oriented and institutionalized models); (3) the implications of different policy integration models for global public health scalability are evaluated.
Methods: We developed a comparative framework examining three interconnected dimensions: (1) Health Benefits-by synthesizing clinical trial evidence; (2) Cultural Sustainability-by analyzing patterns in global digital and academic discourse; and (3) Policy Integration-by reviewing official documents and modeling the relationships among all three dimensions.
Results: (1) Equivalent efficacy in cardiopulmonary function (d = 0.45), chronic pain (d = 0.62), and anxiety reduction (d = 0.51); (2) Cultural Sustainability Exhibits an Asymmetric Pattern: although yoga boasts a more extensive and well-established clinical evidence base (particularly in the field of mental health), its standardized movement retention rate in the process of global dissemination (68%) is significantly lower than…
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