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Objectives: Season of birth (SOB) is a medical term used to describe the relationship between the season in which one is born and his or her physiologic and pathological characteristics. In East Asian medicine, the Un-Gi SOB is based on the Yin-yang-Five Phases theory. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between Un-Gi SOB and a multitude of clinical symptoms and signs, and to examine which of the Un and Gi seasons has the greatest impact on these symptoms and signs. Methods: Using the Delphi method, three Un- Gi experts formulated a 26-item questionnaire consisting of clinical symptoms and signs, with each item rated on a Likert 7-point scale. A total of 1057 Korean adolescents (583 males, 474 females) completed the 26-item questionnaire. After identifying the Un and Gi seasons of all subjects, item scores were evaluated to determine whether there was a difference between Un and Gi seasons. Results: For Un seasons, males born in the Wood season had greater indigestion and were less physically active, whereas females born in the Earth season were better able to concentrate but had slower rates of growth. For Gi seasons, males born in the Fire season had greater indigestion and morning fatigue, and males born in the Earth season had higher tension. There was no relationship between symptoms, signs, and the Gi SOB in females. This indicates that males born in Wood Un and Gi seasons are susceptible to Earth-related clinical problems, whereas females born in the Earth Un season are susceptible to Earth-related clinical problems. Conclusions: The study results suggest that Un- Gi seasons based on the Yin-yang-Five Phases are related to clinical symptoms and signs, with significant differences between genders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Yin Deficiency (YD) is a pathophysiologic pattern that manifests with emaciation, dry mouth, tidal fever, Five Center Heat, night sweats, and malar flushing. The purpose of the present study was to develop and validate a new YD metric, the Yin Deficiency Scale (YDS), to define an optimum cutoff point for the YDS, and to examine the relationships between YD and Cold-Heat patterns. Methods: A total of 169 outpatients and 83 college students were asked to complete the YDS. The college students were also asked to complete the Yin Deficiency Questionnaire (YDQ) and Cold-Heat Questionnaire (CHQ). Twelve clinicians determined whether or not the 169 outpatients had YD. YDS and YDQ data were used to estimate the internal consistency, construct validity, and concurrent validity of the YDS. CHQ data were used to examine the relationships between YDS and CHQ subscale scores. Total YDS scores and the clinicians' diagnoses of the outpatients were used to define an optimum cutoff score for the YDS. Results: The 27-item YDS had satisfactory internal consistency (α=0.885) and concurrent validity, with correlations between the YDS and YDQ subscale scores. A total of eight factors were extracted in the test of construct validity, using principal component analysis, and the overall variance explained by all factors was 63.1%. Among the eight factors, cough, fever, and skin-related factors were associated only with Heat pattern, whereas pain, urine, and fatigue-related factors were associated with both Cold and Heat patterns. In the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, the sensitivity, specificity, and area under the curve of the YDS were 73.7%, 84.8%, and 0.875, respectively. The optimum cutoff score was defined as 10 points. Conclusions: The results of this study suggest that the YDS is a reliable and valid instrument for evaluating YD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The present study was conducted to examine the reliability and validity of a Phlegm Pattern Questionnaire (PPQ) that was developed within the context of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Methods: A total of 292 normal subjects and 61 inpatients were asked to complete the PPQ. Among the 292 normal subjects, 73 college students were additionally asked to complete the Profile of Mood States (POMS) and the Chalder Fatigue Scale (CFS). Three (3) clinicians determined whether the 61 inpatients exhibited the Phlegm Pattern (PP). The authors estimated the internal consistency and construct validity for the PPQ using data from the normal and inpatient subjects. The POMS and CFS data were used to evaluate the concurrent validity of the PPQ. PPQ data and the clinicians' diagnoses of the inpatient subjects were used to estimate the sensitivity and specificity and to define the optimum cut-off point of the PPQ. Results: The PPQ had satisfactory internal consistency (α=0.902 in normal subjects, α=0.919 in inpatient subjects) and concurrent validity, with significant correlations between the total score of the PPQ and all of the POMS and CFS subscales. In a test of construct validity using principal component analysis, a total of six factors were extracted, and the overall variance explained by all factors was 58.9%. In the test of discriminant validity using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, the sensitivity, specificity, and area under the curve were 83.78%, 83.33%, and 0.860, respectively. The optimum cut-off level was defined as five points. Conclusions: These results suggest that the PPQ is a reliable and valid self-rating instrument for estimating the severity of PP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]