2026, Vol.38, No.1

Journal of Sasang Constitution and Immune Medicine 2024 KCI Impact Factor : 0.48

pISSN : 1226-4075 / eISSN : 2287-786X
https://journal.kci.go.kr/JSCIM

Objectives This study aimed to compare the diagnostic accuracy of the Questionnaire for Sasang Constitution Diagnosis(QSCD) across constitutional types by recalculating sensitivity and specificity, rather than relying solely on Percent Correctly Predicted. It also sought to explore potential reasons for variations in diagnostic performance based on prior research. Methods Studies reporting the diagnostic accuracy of the QSCD were reviewed. For each constitutional type, 2×2 contingency tables of true positives, false positives, true negatives, and false negatives were reconstructed to compute sensitivity and specificity. When multiple studies were available for a single QSCD version, pooled estimates with 95% confidence intervals were derived using a diagnostic meta-analysis approach. Results & Conclusions Considering the QSCD’s frequent use as a screening tool in clinical settings, the SDQ_S showed superior accuracy in diagnosing Taeeum(TE) and Soyang(SY) types, whereas the KS-15 demonstrated better performance for the Soeum(SE) type. However, the SY type consistently exhibited relatively low sensitivity across questionnaires. This may result from the insufficient development of scales specific to the SY type, methodological limitations of discriminant analysis commonly applied in QSCD studies, and the absence of a consistent SY type diagnostic image among experts.

Objectives The purpose of this study was to develop a discriminant function for the SSCQ-P short form using new data and to investigate whether the number of items could be further reduced through reliability analysis. Methods The analysis included survey data from 282 patients who visited an outpatient clinic at a Korean medicine hospital between February 2023 and December 2024. Linear discriminant analysis was performed using all 40 items to obtain the discriminant function coefficients and calculate accuracy of the discriminant function. To verify the accuracy of SSCQ-P short form, Total 282 data sets were divided into training data and test data in a ratio of 3:1 and model evaluation was performed. To evaluate the internal consistency of the items by constitution, item analysis was conducted using Cronbach's alpha. To reduce the number of questions, a stepwise variable selection method was used. Results The accuracy of the discriminant function for all participants was 84.4%. The accuracy of the discriminant function for training was 86.9% and the accuracy of the discriminant function for test was 78.6%. Fifteen items were selected using the stepwise variable selection method, and the accuracy was 79.4%. Conclusion As a result of item analysis using cronbach's alpha, the number of items related to the Taeyangin was reduced from 10 to 6, and the number of items related to the Soyangin was reduced from 10 to 9.

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of Sasang constitutional prescriptions, specifically for the Taeeum type, combined with a low-carbohydrate diet (LCD) in overweight and obese patients. Methods: This retrospective multi-center chart review first analyzed prescription frequencies among 991 patients (3,020 prescriptions). For efficacy and safety analysis, 590 patients (BMI ≥ 23 ㎏/㎡) treated for ≥ 12 weeks were included. Changes in body composition (n=590), HbA1c (n=153), liver/renal function (n=108), and vital signs (n=446) were compared before and after treatment. Results: Taeumjowi-tang was prescribed to 63.8% (632/991) of patients, comprising 61.5% (1,858/3,020) of total prescriptions. Among the 590 patients with a BMI ≥ 23 ㎏/㎡ treated for ≥ 12 weeks, body weight and BMI decreased by 7.99±7.15 ㎏ and 2.46±2.71 ㎏/㎡, respectively. Body fat mass accounted for 84% of the weight loss. Post-treatment data showed decreases in HbA1c, liver enzymes (AST, ALT, GGT), and blood pressure, while renal markers (BUN, Creatinine, eGFR) remained unchanged. Heart rate showed a slight increase, which may be related to sympathomimetic components of the prescription. Conclusions: Sasang constitutional treatment for Taeeum type patients is an effective and generally well-tolerated intervention for weight reduction and metabolic health improvement. Integrating herbal medicine with LCD provides a comprehensive therapeutic strategy for managing obesity and its comorbidities in clinical practice.