A Study of the Health-Preserving Effect of Health Qigong • Yi Jin Jing on College Teachers and Students

Yu Lin; 3.Jiangxi College of Traditional Chinese Medicine

Today, the health status of college teachers and students is quite worrying. A great portion of the population is currently in sub-health [1]. Teachers and students in sub-health will be quite inefficient at work and study and poorly adaptable to society and environment, and have significantly lower immunity. Without intervention, this sub-health will eventually lead to organic pathogenic changes which serious threaten their health. Therefore how to find a practical, feasible, simple, and effective intervening method to help college teachers and students improve their sub-health, improve their working and studying efficiency, elevate their life quality, and enhance their immunity is a valuable topic worth focused research. Based on this topic, this study aims to discuss the health-preserving effect of traditional Health Qigong ● Yi Jin Jing on college teachers and students in sub-health in an effort to find a new non-medication approach to the physical health of sub-health teachers and students and to provide scientific basis for the promotion and popularization of Health Qigong ● Yi Jin Jing.

1. Summary

1.1 Purposes of the study

To discuss the health-preserving Effect of Health Qigong•Yi Jin Jing on college teachers and students with sub-heath

1.2 Research objects and methodology

1.2.1 Research objects

Research objects were 100 sub-health teachers and students from Jiangxi College of Traditional Chinese Medicine. 40 of them were teachers and 60 were students. 56 of them were male and 44 were female. Their average age was (27.54±6.77). None of them had a history of traditional physical or Qigong exercise. Research objects were randomly divided into an experimental group and a control group. By comparison, no significant statistical difference (P>0.05) was found between both groups in terms of identity, sex composition, average age, professional title, or grade. Therefore both groups were comparable.

1.2.2 Methodology

Intervention was applied to the members the experimental group, who practiced Health Qigong ● Yi Jin Jing 1h per day for at east 5 days a week for 6 consecutive months. Instructors were responsible for coaching and instructing all members of the practice group. Official editions released by Health Qigong Administration Center of General Administration of Sports of China were used as the basis for the routines, requirements, and teaching instructions of Health Qigong•Yi Jin Jing[2]. No intervention was applied to the control group.

1.3 Indexes used for the study

1.3.1 Physiological indexes: whole blood viscosity and plasma viscosity in the hemarheological indexes were measured

Hemarheological indexes [3] cannot be specifically used to diagnose a certain disease but many physical diseases are likely to result in abnormal hemarheological indexes during the early stage or various stages of the disease course. Therefore sub-health has close relations with hemarheology. According to the work of Wang Jing et. al. [4] people in sub-health have significantly higher whole blood viscosity and plasma viscosity and other hemarheological indexes than the normal population. Therefore these two indexes were used in this study as the physiological indexes for evaluating the health-preserving effect of Health Qigong ● Yi Jin Jing.

Collecting method: Blood samples were taken from veins in the morning on an empty stomach. Whole blood was put to anti-coagulation with heparin and then all indexes were measured with a full-automatic blood rheometer (LBY-N6COMPACT full-automatic blood rheometer produced by Beijing Precil Instrument Co., Ltd) at room temperature within a time period of 2h.

1.3.2 Psychological indexes

Cornell Medical Index (CMI)[5] and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI)[5] were used.

CMI scale is a self-rating health questionnaire prepared by Wolff HG. Brodman R. et. al. with US Cornell University and modified by Beijing Medical University. It can be used to screen out individuals with somatic and mental disorders from the normal population. Each item of the questionnaire is provided with two options. A “Yes” to each question will be scored as 1 and a “No” will be scored as 0. The higher the score, the more health problems the test object has. The overall score and scores related to the mental state, i.e. M-R scores were used as the data for analysis.

BDI was prepared by US psychiatrist Beck in 1967. It contains 21 items each of which representing a “symptom-attitude type”. Each type is described with one of the four levels which are sequenced by the severity of the indicated symptom. From zero severity to extreme severity, the levels are respectively valued 0-3. The total score ranges from 0 to 63. A score of 5 or below indicates a depressed state. The higher the score is, the more severe the depression becomes.

2. Results and analysis

2.1 Comparison of physiological indexes

Physiological indexes of both groups were compared respectively before the experiment, after 3 months of the experiment, and after 6 months of the experiment. (See Table 1)

From Table 1 we can see that before the experiment, no significant difference in whole blood viscosity or plasma viscosity was found between the experimental group and the control group (no mark is made in the table as there is no difference), indicating that both groups were comparable.

By comparison between indexes of the experimental group respectively measured after 3 months of experiment and before the experiment, the whole blood low-cut/medium-cut/and high-cut viscosity levels were significant decreased (P<0.05 or P<0.01) and plasma viscosity was somewhat reduced but the amplitude of decrease was not statistically significant. This indicates that after 3 months of Yi Jin Jing practice, the physical state of sub-health college teachers and students were significantly improved.

By comparison between indexes of the experimental group respectively measured after 6 months of experiment and after 3 months of experiment, the whole blood low-cut/medium-cut/and high-cut viscosity levels were further significantly decreased (P<0.05 or P<0.01) and plasma viscosity was somewhat reduced but the amplitude of decrease was not statistically significant. This indicates that with the advance of the practicing period, the physical state of sub-health college teachers and students were further improved.

By comparison between indexes of the experimental group respectively measured after 6 months of practice and before the experiment, both the whole blood viscosity and plasma viscosity were significantly decreased (P<0.01), indicating that after 6 months of Yi Jin Jing practice, the physical state of sub-health college teachers and students were significantly improved.

With the advance of the experiment period, both the whole blood viscosity and plasma viscosity of the control group were increased by the amplitude of increase was not statistically significant. The increasing amplitudes of whole blood low-cut/medium-cut values were statistically significant after 6 months of experiment (P<0.01 and P<0.05). This indicates that if not timely intervened, sub-health will deteriorate the health status of the body.

To sum up, Health Qigong ● Yi Jin Jing provides very good regulating effect on the physiological state of sub-health teachers and students. Practicing Yi Jin Jing can effectively reduce the whole blood viscosity and plasma viscosity. But if the sub-health state of college teachers and students is not intervened, whole blood viscosity will rise and eventually result in somatic diseases.

Table 1. Measured Physiological Indexes ( ±s) and T-Test Results of Both Groups before and after Experiment

Physiological indexExperimental group (50 cases)

Before 3 months 6 months

Whole blood viscosity shear rate (1/s)

Low cut 10

Medium cut 60

High cut 150

Plasma viscosity 120 (1/s)

12.66±2.15

7.70±2.12

6.20±1.46

2.16±0.54

10.86±1.55**

6.98±1.90**

5.69±1.33*

1.83±0.39

9.55±2.14▲▲--

5.72±1.54▲▲--

5.14±1.25▲--

1.40±0.41--

Physiological indexControl group (50 cases)

Before 3 months 6 months

Whole blood viscosity shear rate (1/s)

Low cut 10

Medium cut 60

High cut 150

Plasma viscosity 120 (1/s)

12.65±2.27

7.70±1.57

6.20±1.37

2.15±0.59

12.95±1.73

7.93±1.77

6.27±1.371

2.20±0.40

13.40±2.08△△

8.25±1.47△

6.41±1.42

2.27±0.45

Notes: Comparison between values of experimental group measured after 3 months of practice and before experiment: * P<0.05, **P<0.01 Comparison between values of experimental group measured after 6 months of practice and after 3 months of practice: ▲P<0.05,▲▲P<0.01; Comparison between values of experimental group measured after 6 months of practice and before experiment: --P<0.01; Comparison between values of control group measured after 6 months of practice and before experiment: △P<0.05.

2.2.2 Comparison of physiological indexes of experimental group measured respectively before the experiment, after 3 months of the experiment, and after 6 months of the experiment (See Table 2)

From Table 2 we can see that before the experiment, no significant difference in CMI overall score, M-R scores, or BDI score was found between the experimental group and the control group (no mark is made in the table as there is no difference), indicating that both groups were comparable.

By comparison between values of the experimental group respectively measured after 3 months of practice and before the experiment and by comparison between values respectively measured after 6 months of practice and after 3 months of practice, CMI overall score, M-R scores, and BDI scores were significantly decreased (P<0.01). The CMI overall score and M-R scores of the control group measured after 3 months and after 6 months of experiment were different from those measured before the experiment but the differences were not statistically significant. But BDI score measured after 6 months of experiment was significantly higher (P<0.01 and P<0.05) than those measured before and experiment and after 3 months of experiment.

To sum up, practicing Health Qigong ● Yi Jin Jing can effectively improve the physical and mental states of sub-health college teachers and students (as indicated by CMI overall score and M-R scores) and effectively alleviate depression and reduce the depression level. It is notable that if not timely intervened, the depressed state of sub-health teachers and students will become worse and worse.

Table 2. Measured Psychological Indexes ( ±s) and T-Test Results of Both Groups before and after Experiment

Psychological indexExperimental group (50 cases)

Before 3 months 6 months

CMI overall

M-R score

BDI score35.94±4.43

16.30±1.52

10.94±4.3231.44±2.17**

14.52±3.59**

9.22±3.03**27.36±2.18▲▲

10.64±2.32▲▲

6.10±1.13▲▲

Psychological indexControl group (50 cases)

Before 3 months 6 months

CMI overall

M-R score

BDI score35.42±4.14

16.26±3.95

11.02±4.5735.04±4.18

16.34±3.68

12.02±4.2634.92±4.09

16.10±3.29

13.84±3.55△△-

Notes: Comparison between values of experimental group measured after 3 months of practice and before experiment: **P<0.01; Comparison between values of both groups measured after 6 months of experiment and after 3 months of experiment: ▲▲P<0.01; Comparison between values of control group measured after 6 months of practice and before experiment: △△P<0.01; Comparison between values of control group measured after 6 months of experiment and after 3 months of experiment: -P<0.01.

3. Summary

The measurement of the preset physiological and psychological indexes has shown that Health Qigong ● Yi Jin Jing has very good health-preserving effect on the sub-health college teachers and students and can effectively improve the imbalanced psychological and physiological statues, promote the improvement of health among sub-health college teachers and students, provide certain intervening effect on depression, and effectively reduce the level of depression. If the sub-health state is not timely intervened, it will become worse and worse and thus seriously affect the physical and mental health of sub-health college teachers and students.

4. Discussion

According to relevant survey results, the sub-health rate of is higher in college teachers and students than in other populations. Sub-health significantly affects the study, work, and life quality of teachers and students. How to improve the sub-health state of college teachers and students has become an urgent problem that needs to be solved for colleges and the society. In this study, an experiment was carried out to prove that practicing Health Qigong ● Yi Jin Jing could effectively improve the sub-health state of college teachers and students. The significant health-preserving effect of this exercise has provided scientific basis for the promotion of Health Qigong ● Yi Jin Jing. The newly-compiled Health Qigong ● Yi Jin Jing exercise is easy to learn and practice and involves moderate daily exercise intensity. Therefore it is worth being popularized among vast college teachers and students. When popularized among this population, this new exercise will create widespread influence and exhibit strong universality and will bear great realistic significance for promoting the mainstream Health Qigong among the magnitude and for improving the health of people. It will serve as a new non-medication approach for the health preservation of the sub-health population.

References

[1]Yan Bohua, Huang Zhijian etal. Recent progress of the epidemiological research of sub-health [J]. Modern Preventive Medicine 2005, 32(5): 465-466

[2] Health Qigong Administration Center of General Administration of Sports of China. Health Qigong•Yi Jin Jing [M]. Beijing: People’s Sports Publishing House 2003:3-6

[3]Wang Yanhui, Luan Zhaohong. Sub-health and hemarheology [J]. Chinese Journal of Hemarheology 2006,16(1): 138-145

[4]Wang Jing, Chen Yaoping etal. Test results of hemarheology and related indexes of 247 sub-health cadres [J].Ninxia medical Journal 2003,25(12):751-753

[5]Wang Xiangdong etal. Handbook of Mental Health Assessment (Supplement). Chinese Journal of Mental Health, 1999:25-30,191-194