Objectives: This study aimed to develop and validate a questionnaire to assess the Yang-Qi deficiency body constitution (BCQ+) for use in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) practice.
Methods: The BCQ+ was developed using the Delphi methods and psychometrically evaluated. A total of 1,557 eligible participants, aged between 20-60, no disease onset in the past month, and receiving health examination in teaching hospitals were recruited. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted to ascertain and validate the factor structures of the BCQ+. Reliability and validity were also examined.
Results: Exploratory factor analysis identified 5 primary domains that represent the Yang-Qi deficiency body constitution and correspond to the manifestations of the diminishing energy level in 5 different body areas: Yang-Qi deficiency in “head”, “chest”, “four limbs”, “abdominal cavity”, and “body surface”. The Cronbach’s alpha (α) coefficients ranged from 0.55-0.88 and the intraclass correlation coefficients were greater than 0.7 for most of 19 retained questions. The diagnosis of Yang-Qi deficiency by both the BCQ+ and an experienced TCM doctor were consistent. It was also found that higher Yang-Qi deficiency scores were associated with lower systolic blood pressure (F = 6.25, p < .001).
Conclusions: The BCQ+ is a reliable, valid, and potentially useful tool for evaluating the Yang-Qi deficiency body constitution in clinical practices and research. Further validation for its use in diverse patient populations is needed.
