Qigong Practice Among Chronically Ill Patients During the SARS Outbreak

Aims and objectives. This research aimed at exploring the motivations and experiences of chronically ill participants practising qigong during the severe acute respiratory syndrome outbreak in Hong Kong. Background. Although biomedicine is the mainstream medical system in Hong Kong, many people employ complementary and alternative medicine in dealing with their chronic health problems. Practising qigong is one of the most popular forms of complementary and alternative medicine used among chronically ill patients. Little is known about the experiences of the chronically ill patients practising qigong in the severe acute respiratory syndrome outbreak and even less is known how this practice is related to the social context of Hong Kong during the outbreak. Design and methods. Qualitative methods using participant-observation from three qigong classes in Hong Kong and in-depth semi-structured interviews with 30 participants were employed. Content analysis and discourse analysis were used to identify major themes of the data. Results. Both the underlying and trigger motivations could motivate these chronically ill participants to practise qigong. Legitimacy of qigong in health maintenance, deterioration of health and unpleasant experiences in biomedical treatment on their chronic illnesses served as the underlying motivations. Stigmatization of and discrimination against the chronically ill and the sense of searching coping strategy during the severe acute respiratory syndrome outbreak further motivated their practice. Conclusion. To the participants, practising qigong not only could strengthen their health, but was also a coping strategy for them to regain an active control and the sense of security in their health and enabled them to overcome the social stigmatization and discrimination during the outbreak. Relevance to clinical practice. Searching for emotional support and a more active role in health conditions could be seen from the chronically ill participants. Understanding and paying more attention to the particular needs of the chronically ill patients can enable health-care professionals to provide better care and support for the chronically ill during an epidemic crisis

Enhancing the physical activity levels of frail older adults with a wearable activity tracker‐based exercise intervention: A pilot cluster randomized controlled trial

A wearable activity tracker (WAT) incorporated with behavioral change techniques (BCTs) increases physical activity in younger adults; however, its effectiveness with frail older adults is unknown. The feasibility and preliminary effects of a WAT‐based exercise intervention to increase physical activity levels in frail older adults was investigated in this pilot study involving 40 community‐dwelling frail older adults. The experimental group received a 14‐week WAT‐based group exercise intervention and a 3‐month follow‐up, while the control group only received similar physical training and all BCTs. The recruitment rate was 93%, and the average attendance rate was 85.2% and 82.2% in the WAT and control groups, respectively, establishing feasibility. Adherence to wearing the WAT was 94.2% and 92% during the intervention and follow‐up periods, respec-tively. A significant interaction effect between time and group was found in all physical assess-ments, possibly lasting for 3 months post‐intervention. However, no significant difference between groups was observed in any daily activity level by the ActiGraph measurement. The majority of the WAT group’s ActiGraph measurements reverted to baseline levels at the 1‐month follow‐up. Thus, the WAT‐based exercise program has potential for employment among community‐dwelling frail older adults, but sustaining the effects after the intervention remains a major challenge

The SARS-associated stigma of SARS victims in the post-SARS era of Hong Kong

This article explores the disease-associated stigma attached to the SARS victims in the post-SARS era of Hong Kong. I argue that the SARS-associated stigma did not decrease over time. Based on the ethnographic data obtained from 16 months of participant observation in a SARS victims' self-help group and semistructured interviews, I argue that the SARS-associated stigma was maintained, revived, and reconstructed by the biomedical encounters, government institutions, and public perception. I also provide new insight on how the SARS-associated stigma could create problems for public health development in Hong Kong. As communicable diseases will be a continuing threat for the human society, understanding how the disease-associated stigma affects the outcomes of epidemic control measures will be crucial in developing a more responsive public health policy as well as medical follow-up and social support service to the diseased social groups of future epidemic outbreaks