Emotion regulation effect of baduanjin on college students: A pilot event-related potential study on late positive potential

Exploring the effects of combining health qigong and dance on working memory in middle-aged and elderly women: A preliminary investigation

OBJECTIVE

Cognitive decline represents a critical clinical and public health issue that adversely affects the quality of life for older patients and their families. This concern was exacerbated by the reduced engagement in outdoor activities among seniors during the COVID-19 pandemic, presenting substantial challenges to aging societies. The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of health qigong combined with Tibetan dance on working memory in middle-aged and elderly women, and to determine its potential as a preventive strategy against cognitive disorders.

METHODS

A pilot study was conducted to compare the effects of a Health Qigong exercise intervention with those of everyday life and sports routines. The primary outcome measure was working memory assessed using a 2-Back working memory task research paradigm. Between July and September 2021, a total of 33 women were divided into four groups: two middle-aged groups (N = 18, with 8 women in the experimental group and 10 in the control group) and two elderly groups (N = 15, with 7 in the experimental group and 8 in the control group). Participants in the experimental groups underwent a 10-week intervention, consisting of three 60-min sessions per week. Each session included a warm-up, Health Qigong combined with Tibetan dance, and a cool-down. Throughout the study, all participants continued their daily routines. Response times and error rates were analyzed using a mixed-design repeated-measures analysis of variance.

RESULTS

A simple effects analysis revealed that Health Qigong combined with Tibetan dance significantly enhanced 2-Back response time and error rate in the middle-aged group. In contrast, the 2-Back error rate significantly increased in the elderly control group that did not receive the intervention (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Health Qigong demonstrates beneficial effects on middle-aged and elderly women. Combining Health Qigong with dance may serve as a preventive measure against cognitive disorders. This pioneering study conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, assesses the new possibility of Health Qigong and dance, with the objective to offer more diverse indoor exercise options for middle-aged and elderly women.

Impact of traditional Chinese Baduanjin exercise on menstrual health among international female students studying in China: a randomized controlled trial

Background

Menstrual symptoms were the common complaints of international female students during the acculturation period, and the symptoms negatively affected the daily life and school performance of those women. The present study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the traditional Chinese Baduanjin exercise on reducing menstrual symptoms for international female students studying in China during the acculturation period.

Methods

We conducted a randomized controlled trial among 62 international female students who suffered menstrual symptoms during the first 6 months after arriving in China. The study was carried out at three campuses of the two largest universities in the capital of a province in south-central China from March to October 2021. After screening, participants were randomly assigned to a control or intervention group. The intervention group engaged in 24 weeks of Baduanjin exercise for at least 30 min per day. The menstrual symptoms, sociocultural adaptation, perceived stress, and sleep quality were evaluated at baseline, the 12th week, and the 24th week. The chi-square test or Fisher's exact test, paired sample t-test, and multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA)were adopted to analyze the data using SPSS 25.0.

Results

Totally, 62 participants were enrolled in this study from 30 countries. Their mean age was 27.87 ± 5.58 years. None of the participants reported an adverse event. The results of the MANOVA test showed that the traditional Chinese Baduanjin exercise reduced the total score of MSQ among international female students (intervention: 47.83 ± 8.71 vs. control: 65.12 ± 16.86; F = 19.49, P < 0.01). In addition, the results of the MANOVA indicated statistically significant decreases in scores for the two subscales of MSQ: premenstrual symptoms (intervention: 17.07 ± 3.33 vs. control: 28.42 ± 7.56; F = 44.70, P < 0.01)and menstrual pain (16.03 ± 4.53 vs. 19.58 ± 5.14; F = 6.50, P < 0.05). Moreover, the results showed that traditional Chinese Baduanjin exercise reduced the scores of the sociocultural adaptation level, the perceived stress level, and sleep quality and improved the blood progesterone hormone and blood estrogen hormone.

Conclusion

Regular Baduanjin exercise is a safe, acceptable, and effective form of exercise to promote international female students' menstrual health, reduce stress levels, and improve sleep quality.

Trial registration

www.chictr.org.cn, Chinese Clinical Trial Registry: ChiCTR2300072376.

Effects of depressive symptoms on regulating emotional goals: preferences for distinct facial emotions

BACKGROUND

Although many studies of emotion regulation in depression have focused on regulatory strategies, few have explored the goals of regulation. Regulatory strategies refer to methods of adjusting emotions, while regulatory goals refer to the desired states of emotion. According to situational selection strategy, individuals choose situations to regulate their emotions, and also selectively approach or avoid certain people.

METHODS

We used the Beck Depression Inventory-II scale to classify healthy individuals into two groups: those with either high or low levels of depressive symptoms. We then explored the influence of these symptoms on individual goals for emotion regulation. Event-related potentials in the brain were recorded as participants viewed and selected images of happy, neutral, sad, and fearful faces. Participants also provided subjective emotional preferences. Results Late positive potential (LPP) amplitudes for all faces were smaller in the high depressive-symptom group than those in the low depressive-symptom group. Additionally, participants in the high depressive-symptom group chose to look at sad and fearful faces more often than they chose to view happy or neutral faces, and showed a stronger preference for sad and fearful emotions and a weaker preference for happy emotions.

CONCLUSION

The results suggest that the more individuals exhibit depressive symptoms, the less likely that they will be motivated to approach happy faces and avoid sad and fearful faces. The result of this emotional regulation goal is an increase in the experience of negative emotions, which likely contributes to their depressive state.

Analysis of Current Situation Regarding Scientific Fitness Literacy of Nurses in Sports Medicine Integration

Objective

The present study aims to analyze the current situation of scientific fitness literacy in nurses and provide a basis for all-round strategies for its improvement.

Methods

Nurses in tertiary hospitals were conveniently selected as subjects in order to investigate the current situation regarding the scientific fitness literacy of nurses. The selection process was completed via the demographics questionnaire and the adult scale of scientific fitness literacy in sports medicine integration. As the minimum sample size was 5–10 times the number of variables in the study of exploring influencing factors of related variables and using the equation \documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage[substack]{amsmath} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage[mathscr]{eucal} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \DeclareFontFamily{T1}{linotext}{} \DeclareFontShape{T1}{linotext}{m}{n} {linotext }{} \DeclareSymbolFont{linotext}{T1}{linotext}{m}{n} \DeclareSymbolFontAlphabet{\mathLINOTEXT}{linotext} \begin{document} $${\rm{N = }}\left[{{\rm{number of variables \times }}\left({{\rm{5 - 10}}} \right)} \right]{\rm{ \times `1 + 10\% ]}}$$ \end{document}, given 20% of invalid questionnaires, the sample size should be >600 persons. The methods used for statistical analysis were descriptive statistical analysis and the t-test.

Results

The scientific fitness literacy score in nurses was 110.81 ± 25.04 (relative value: 69.7%); this consisted of 50.85 ± 11.19 (73.7%) for scientific fitness knowledge dimension, 25.99 ± 5.35 (78.8%) for scientific fitness attitude dimension, and 33.97 ± 13.59 (59.6%) for scientific fitness behavior and skill dimension. The results of the independent sample t-test and analysis of variance showed that the differences in gender, education level, position, exercise habits, and balanced diet in daily life among nurses (regarding scientific fitness literacy) were statistically significant (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

Nurses generally have an above-average level of scientific fitness literacy; this is mainly due to their good cognition and attitude regarding scientific fitness. However, their scientific fitness behaviors and skills are greatly inadequate. They are especially weak in completing WHO’s recommended amount of exercise, mastering the cores of sports skills, undergoing a professional assessment before exercise, and developing exercise plans.

Investigation of Factors Influencing the Fear of Cancer Recurrence in Breast Cancer Patients Using Structural Equation Modeling: A Cross-Sectional Study

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to investigate the fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) in breast cancer patients and develop a structural equation model of influencing factors to help formulate clinical intervention strategies.

METHODS

A convenience sample of 325 patients was surveyed using a general and disease-related data questionnaire, which combined the Fear of Progression Questionnaire-Short Form, Mishel Uncertainty in Illness Scale, Perceived Social Support Scale, and Medical Coping Modes Questionnaire.

RESULTS

The total score of FCR in breast cancer patients was 35.06 ± 10.83, and 53.8% of patients reached the clinical level. The structural equation model demonstrated that illness uncertainty had a direct positive impact on FCR (β = 0.275, p < 0.05), and it could have an indirect impact through social support and resignation coping methods (β = 0.254, p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

The fear of cancer recurrence in breast cancer patients needs further understanding. Medical staff can reduce or buffer FCR in breast cancer patients by strengthening positive influences, such as social support, or weakening negative influences, such as illness uncertainty and resignation coping.