Effects of Baduanjin exercise on sleep quality, depressive symptoms, quality of life, and body composition in older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: Baduanjin, a traditional mind-body exercise, may provide benefits for both physical and psychological health among older adults. The present study systematically evaluated its effects on sleep quality, depressive symptoms, quality of life, body composition, and handgrip strength. METHODS: A systematic search of seven databases was conducted to identify randomized controlled trials investigating Baduanjin among adults aged 60 years or older published before 3 April 2026. Primary outcomes included sleep quality, depressive symptoms, quality of life, body composition, and handgrip strength. The Cochrane Risk of Bias tool (RoB 2.0) was used to evaluate the quality of the study. Standardized mean differences (SMDs) or mean differences (MDs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used in random-effects meta-analyses. The I2 statistic was used to measure between-study heterogeneity, while Egger's test and funnel plots were used to evaluate publication bias. R (version 4.4.2) was used for all analyses. RESULTS: Eighteen randomized controlled trials comprising 1,527 participants were included in the final analysis. Pooled analyses showed that Baduanjin significantly improved sleep quality (MD = -2.81, 95% CI: -3.38 to -2.24, p < 0.001) and reduced depressive symptoms (SMD = -0.88, 95% CI: -1.31 to -0.45, p < 0.001). Significant improvements were also observed in quality of life (SMD = 0.73, 95% CI: 0.29-1.18, p = 0.001), handgrip strength (MD = 2.11, 95% CI: 1.57-2.64, p < 0.001), and body composition, including reductions in body mass index, waist circumference, and hip circumference. CONCLUSION: Baduanjin, a traditional mind-body exercise, may improve sleep quality, depressive symptoms, quality of life, body composition, and handgrip strength among older adults. Nevertheless, additional high-quality randomized controlled trials are warranted because of methodological limitations and heterogeneity across studies. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD420261377240, identifier PROSPERO (CRD420261377240).