Healthcare Utilization and Perceived Health Status from Falun Gong Practitioners in Taiwan: A Pilot SF-36 Survey

36 Pages Posted: 5 Sep 2020

See all articles by Yu-Whuei Hu

Yu-Whuei Hu

National Dong Hwa University

Li-Shan Huang

National Tsing Hua University

Eric Yeh

Amgen Inc.

Mai He

Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine

Date Written: July 29, 2020

Abstract

Objective: Falun Gong (FLG) is a practice of mind and body focusing on moral character improvement along with meditative exercises. This 2002 pilot study explored perceived health status, medical resource utilization and related factors among Taiwanese FLG practitioners, compared to the general Taiwanese norm estimated by the 2001 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS).

Methods: This cross-sectional, observational study was based on a voluntary, paper-based survey conducted from October 2002 to February 2003 using the same Taiwanese SF-36 instrument employed by the NHIS. Primary outcomes included eight SF-36 domain scores and the number of medical visits. One-sample t-tests, one-way ANOVA and multivariate linear regression analyses were performed.

Results: The response rate was 75·6% (1,210/1,600). Compared to the norm, the study cohort had significantly higher scores in six of eight SF-36 domains across gender and age (p<0·05). Among those with chronic diseases, 70% to 89% reported their conditions either improved or cured. 74.2%, 79.2%, 83.3%, and 85.6% quitted alcohol drinking, smoking, chewing betel nuts, and gambling. 62·7% reported a reduced number of medical visits (mean=13·53 before; mean=5·87 after).

Conclusions: In this subject cohort, practicing FLG led to higher perceived health scores and reduced health resource utilization compared to the norm.

Keywords: Qigong, National Health Interview Survey, SF36, Falun Gong, Perceived health, health care utilization

JEL Classification: I

Suggested Citation

Hu, Yu-Whuei and Huang, Li-Shan and Yeh, Eric and He, Mai, Healthcare Utilization and Perceived Health Status from Falun Gong Practitioners in Taiwan: A Pilot SF-36 Survey (July 29, 2020). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3663179 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3663179

Yu-Whuei Hu

National Dong Hwa University ( email )

No. 1, Sec. 2, Da Hsueh Rd.
Shoufeng, Hualien 97401
Taiwan

Li-Shan Huang

National Tsing Hua University ( email )

No. 101, Section 2, Guangfu Road, East District
Hsin Chu 3, 300
China

Eric Yeh

Amgen Inc. ( email )

Thousand Oaks, CA
United States

Mai He (Contact Author)

Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine ( email )

St. Louis, MO 63110
United States

Do you have a job opening that you would like to promote on SSRN?

Paper statistics

Downloads
37
Abstract Views
367
PlumX Metrics