Ten-week Baduanjin exercise improved sleep and mood in college students with Qi-deficiency constitution
This randomized study evaluated a 10-week Baduanjin exercise program in college students with Qi-deficiency constitution accompanied by sleep quality problems. Thirty-seven students were randomly divided into a control group (n=18) and a training group (n=19). Outcomes included the Qi-deficiency constitution conversion score, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), and the Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS), measured before and after the intervention.
At baseline, the two groups were comparable on all four measures (P > 0.05). After the intervention, the control group showed no significant change on any measure (P > 0.05). In the training group, Qi-deficiency constitution conversion score, PSQI, SAS, and SDS were all lower than their pre-intervention values, and the authors report that improvement in sleep quality was positively correlated with improvement in Qi-deficiency constitution. The abstract concludes that Baduanjin can effectively improve sleep quality, Qi-deficiency constitution, and the negative emotions of depression and anxiety in this population.
Adverse events, tolerability, and discontinuations were not reported in the abstract. Limitations include a small total sample (37 participants), short 10-week follow-up, a single-population focus on college students with Qi-deficiency constitution, and reliance on self-rated scales (PSQI, SAS, SDS) plus constitution conversion scoring. Between-group statistical comparisons and effect sizes are not detailed in the abstract text provided.
For clinicians and student health services, these findings offer preliminary support for Baduanjin as a low-intensity adjunctive practice for students presenting with Qi-deficiency constitution and poor sleep, but the small sample and limited reporting argue for cautious interpretation pending larger trials. The study is registered as ITMCTR2025000103.
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