A study of Tai Chi and Qigong popularity in the United States based on the NHIS data / 国际中医中药杂志

ABSTRACT

Tai Chi and Qigong (TCQ) are regarded as major therapies of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), and welcomed by increasing practitioners worldwide for their efficacy in various health issues. To better learn about the popularity of TCQ in the United States, the related data collected from 2007, 2012 and 2017 questionnaires of the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) were examined and analyzed. The result showed that adult TCQ practitioners in the US increased substantially from 2007-2017, the percentage of Tai Chi practitioners in adult population was 1.0% in 2007, and Qigong practitioners 0.3%; Tai Chi practitioners was 1.1% in 2012, and Qigong practitioners 0.3%; in 2017, Tai Chi practitioners was 1.5%, and Qigong practitioners 0.5%. The top three reasons for using TCQ were 82.4% for general wellness or disease prevention, 64.6% to improve or enhance energy, and 35.1% recommended by family, friends or co-workers. The health benefits of TCQ, the demand for complementary therapies and increasing research evidences were positive factors for the growth, while there are also challenges including insufficiencies in scientific researches and lacking of standardized teaching system. To promote the future development of TCQ in the US and oversea countries, we should optimize the research methods and standardize the teaching system, encourage the exchange and training of TCQ related professionals, and promote the integration of TCQ into conventional medical system and other related industries.