This study is significant because it showed for the first time Qigong can improve breathing function in people with COPD via instruction utilizing Qigong videos instead of an in-person program.
Participant adoption of the Meditative Movement (MM) practices showed a significant and moderately large correlation with overall health improvement for Flight Attendants with CPOD due to exposure to secondhand smoke.
There were significant improvements in the 6-min walk test, the Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness (MAIA) score, and the COPD Assessment Test. Eighty one percent of respondents enjoyed the program.
These results support the benefits of video-based qigong (MM) training for this population.
ABSTRACT
Digital Delivery of Meditative Movement Training Improved Health of Cigarette-Smoke-Exposed Subjects
CLINICAL TRIAL ARTICLE
Front. Public Health, 19 October 2018 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2018.00282 Peter Payne, Steven Fiering, David Zava, Thomas J. Gould, Anthony Brown, Paul Hage, Carole Gaudet and Mardi Crane-Godreau
Many Flight Attendants (FA) who flew prior to the ban on smoking in commercial aircraft exhibit an unusual pattern of long-term pulmonary dysfunction. This randomized controlled study tested the hypothesis that digitally delivered meditative movement (MM) training improves chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)-related symptoms in flight attendants (FA) who were exposed to second-hand cigarette smoke (SHCS) while flying.
Phase I of this two-phase clinical trial was a single-arm non-randomized pilot study that developed and tested methods for MM intervention; we now report on Phase II, a randomized controlled trial comparing MM to a control group of similar FA receiving health education (HE) videos. Primary outcomes were the 6-min walk test and blood levels of high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP). Pulmonary, cardiovascular, autonomic and affective measures were also taken.
There were significant improvements in the 6-min walk test, the Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness (MAIA) score, and the COPD Assessment Test. Non-significant trends were observed for increased dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) levels, decreased anxiety scores and reduced blood hs-CRP levels, and increased peak expiratory flow (PEF).
In a Survey Monkey questionnaire, 81% of participants who completed pre and post-testing expressed mild to strong positive opinions of the study contents, delivery, or impact, while 16% expressed mild negative opinions.
Over the course of the year including the study, participant adoption of the MM practices showed a significant and moderately large correlation with overall health improvement; Pearson's R = 0.62, p < 0.005.
These results support the hypothesized benefits of video-based MM training for this population. No adverse effects were reported.
Clinical Trial Registration:www.ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier: NCT02612389
Full article at https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2018.00282/full
