Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41310674›Full record

ArticleChinese medicine2025

Prevalence of traditional Chinese medicine body constitutions in a large community-based study in Hangzhou, China.

Yi-Hsuan Wu, Ji Wang, Ming-Hua Bai, Qi Wang, April Myers, Peng Gao, Elizabeth Delzell, Dan Huang, Fei Yang, Wei He and 2 more

Abstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in Chinese medicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Yi-Hsuan WuStanford Prevention Research Center, Department of Medicine, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
Ji WangNational Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine Constitution and Preventive Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China.
Ming-Hua BaiNational Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine Constitution and Preventive Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China.
Qi WangNational Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine Constitution and Preventive Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China.
April MyersStanford Prevention Research Center, Department of Medicine, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
Peng GaoStanford Prevention Research Center, Department of Medicine, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
Elizabeth DelzellStanford Prevention Research Center, Department of Medicine, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
Dan HuangBinjiang Institute of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
Fei YangDepartment of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, The Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
Wei HeDepartment of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, The Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
Shankuan ZhuDepartment of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, The Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
Ann W HsingStanford Prevention Research Center, Department of Medicine, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA. annhsing@stanford.edu.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundTraditional Chinese medicine (TCM) views body constitution as a foundational determinant of health and disease risk. Understanding the distribution of body constitutions across the population can help in developing personalized strategies to prevent disease, but few studies have examined composite constitutions or unbalanced tendencies.

methodsThis cross-sectional study assessed the prevalence of singular and composite (multiple) TCM body constitutions and tendencies in a sample of adult residents of Hangzhou, China. We used the 2016 version of the Constitution in Chinese Medicine Questionnaire (CCMQ, 54 items) to classify participants into nine body constitutions and tendencies toward those body constitutions and examined variations in those distributions by demographics and selected lifestyle factors.

resultsAmong 8,665 participants aged 18-80 years, 74.2% had one or more body constitutions, and 25.8% had unbalanced tendencies only. The Balanced constitution was the most common (22.3%). Of the eight unbalanced constitutions, Qi Deficiency (16.4%), Phlegm Dampness (11.0%), and Yang Deficiency (9.4%) were most prevalent. Over half of the individuals with an unbalanced constitution also had other constitutions (composite). The most frequent composite combinations included Qi Stagnation with Qi Deficiency, Blood Stasis and Qi Deficiency, and Damp Heat with Phlegm Dampness. Body constitution distribution varied significantly by age, sex, and body mass index (BMI). Younger adults (18-39 years) were less likely to have the Balanced constitution (13.1%) and more likely to have composite unbalanced constitutions. Men were more likely to have Phlegm Dampness or Damp Heat, while women were more likely to have Yang Deficiency or Yin Deficiency. After adjusting for age and sex, individuals with obesity had a higher prevalence of Phlegm Dampness and a lower prevalence of the Balanced, Yang Deficiency, or Yin Deficiency constitutions.

conclusionsOur results provide a comprehensive profile of the patterns and distribution of TCM body constitutions across demographic and lifestyle subgroups. This more complete understanding of TCM body constitutions can inform personalized medicine, support individual risk assessment, and help improve health outcomes.

Indexed as

Body constitutionComposite constitutionsPrevalenceTendencyTraditional Chinese medicine (TCM)

Identifiers

PMID41310674
PMCPMC12661724

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