154664 Does Yan Xin Qigong (YXQ) affect men and women differently?

Monday, November 5, 2007: 3:10 PM

Xin Yan, MD , The Institute of Chongqing Traditional Chinese Medicine, China, c/o New Medical Science Research Institute, New York, NY
Hua Shen , New Medical Science Research Institute, New York, NY
Charles Loh, PhD , Vancouver Yan Xin Life Science & Technology Center, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Jianzhong Shao, MD , Vancouver Yan Xin Life Science & Technology Center, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Yuhong Yang, PhD , School of Statistics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
Jun Wang, PhD , New Medical Science Research Institute, New York, NY
Chunling Lu, PhD , Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
  
Introduction: Previous studies have demonstrated that participating in Yan Xin Qigong (YXQ) may improve health. Descriptive statistics from various population level surveys show that the women are more likely to participate in YXQ than men.

Purpose: To investigate whether effect of YXQ on health varies by gender using a longitudinal study with medical claims data. Medical claims data are not subject to participants' recall bias and increase the reliability of the findings.

Methods: Information on 152 women participants and 101 men participants is collected based on their Medical Claims History Record obtained from Ministry of Health in Vancouver. The time frame of the data is from 1995 to 2002. We test mean difference of doctor's visits before and after practicing YXQ between men and women. We construct an interactive variable between gender and YXQ learning and include it in regression analysis with random effects. The longitudinal nature of the study enables us to control for time-invariant confounding factors.

Results: Among YXQ participants, we do not find a significant effect of gender on health outcome variable after controlling for YXQ and other factors.

Learning Objectives:
- Apply the method to similar study. - Assess Yan Xin Qigong effect on men and women.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No
Any institutionally-contracted trials related to this submission?

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

See more of: Women and Minority Populations Use of Alternative and Complementary Health Practices
See more of: Alternative and Complementary Health Practices