"Walk for Life": A Feasibility Randomised Controlled Trial of Guolin Qigong for Fatigue, Sleep Disturbance and Depression Symptom Cluster in Cancer Survivors
Abstract
Purpose: To evaluate the feasibility and the preliminary estimate of effect of a 12-week Guolin Qigong (GQ) intervention, a mind-body exercise, on the fatigue-sleep disturbance-depression symptoms among breast, lung and colon cancer survivors.
Methods: Forty-one breast, lung, and colon cancer survivors with moderate to severe fatigue as measured by the Brief Fatigue Index were randomised to a GQ intervention (n = 21) or a waitlist control (n = 20). Outcome measures were assessed at baseline, 6, 12 weeks (post-intervention), and 16 weeks (4 weeks post-intervention). The primary feasibility was assessed using recruitment, retention, class attendance, home practice, safety and quantum of missing data. Secondary outcomes of symptom differences across timepoints in fatigue, sleep, and depression were assessed using a Generalised Estimating Equations (GEE) model with a Gaussian family, independent link, exchangeable correlation structure, and robust variance estimation.
Results: Forty-one cancer survivors were successfully recruited with a recruitment rate of 72%. Retention was 95% (GQ) and 80% (control) at Week-12 and Week-16. GQ intervention class attendance was 86% for the 12-weeks duration with home practice averaging 5 day/week and 394 minutes/week. Missing data were less than 10%. There were no intervention-related serious adverse events. From baseline to Week 12 or Week 16, the average decreases in fatigue, sleep quality, and depression were 0.66, 0.11, and 1.79…
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a randomized trial, done in people. Its evidence level is 3 of 5 (Moderate · trial / cohort / secondary analysis). Trials without a large randomized design, cohorts and secondary analyses give moderate evidence. Reported size: 21 participants or records.
Read the paper
Related studies
- Chaos and quantum thermalization
- The Dalton quantum chemistry program system
- Cord Blood Leptin and Adiponectin as Predictors of Adiposity in Children at 3 Years of Age: A Prospective Cohort Study
- Quantitative metabolomics by H-NMR and LC-MS/MS confirms altered metabolic pathways in diabetes
- Stable adiabatic quantum batteries
- A novel self-lipid antigen targets human T cells against CD1c(+) leukemias
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.