Tai Chi interventions for older adults living in aged care homes in Sri Lanka: a study protocol for a single-arm...

The institutionalisation of older adults has become increasingly common in Sri Lanka due to recent socioeconomic changes. Tai Chi is a traditional Chinese martial art that provides numerous physical and psychological health benefits. Despite its proven effectiveness, Tai Chi is a relatively new intervention in Sri Lanka, with no local research on its feasibility and efficacy among older adults. This study aims to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of Tai Chi on physical function and fall risk, lung function, depression, pain and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in older adults residing in aged care homes in Sri Lanka.

A single-arm pretest-posttest feasibility study will be conducted among older adults aged 60 and over (n=40) living in aged care homes in Kandy District, Sri Lanka. A certified Tai Chi instructor will deliver two 60 min sessions of the Tai Chi for Arthritis and Fall Prevention programme per week over a 12-week period in aged care home settings. Acceptability, demand, implementation, practicality, adaptation, integration, expansion and study limitations will be assessed to determine feasibility. Baseline and post-12-week Tai Chi programme outcomes will be assessed, focusing on physical function and fall risk, lung function, pain, depression and HRQOL. Additionally, field notes will be taken during the intervention, and a post-intervention follow-up group discussion will be conducted. Paired t-tests will be used to assess the effectiveness of the Tai Chi programme. A narrative synthesis will be used to analyse qualitative data.

The Research Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, approved this study (No.: 2024/EC/34). Written informed consent will be obtained from each participant before data collection. The findings will be presented at national and international research conferences and published in a reputed journal.

This study was registered with the Sri Lanka Trial Registration (SLCTR/2025/025) at https://slctr.lk/trials/slctr-2025-025 (date: 26 June 2025).