Network analysis and core dimensions of the biased constitution in Chinese medicine based on 3, 691 cases
10.3969/j.issn.1006-2157.2025.01.011
- VernacularTitle:基于3 691份样本的中医偏颇体质的网络分析及核心维度
- Author:
Yuhao LUO
1
;
Yanbo ZHU
1
Author Information
1. School of Management, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
biased constitution;
network analysis;
30-Item Short Version of Constitution in Chinese Medicine Questionnaire;
qi-deficiency type;
phlegm-dampness type
- From:
Journal of Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine
2025;48(1):91-97
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Objective:To conduct network analysis of biased constitution to provide theoretical basis for daily health management.
Methods:Purposive sampling and snowball sampling methods were used to collect the required data via a web-based questionnaire from February 3rd, 2022 to January 21st, 2023. The tendency scores of 8 biased constitutions (qi-deficiency type, yang-deficiency type, yin-deficiency type, phlegm-dampness type, damp-heat type, blood-stasis type, qi-depression type, and special diathesis type) were evaluated by 30-Item Short Version of Constitution in Chinese Medicine Questionnaire. Data analysis was conducted in R. The qgraph package was used to construct network analysis models and calculate the edge weight, namely regularised partial correlation coefficients (r) and centrality coefficients (including strength, closeness, betweenness and expected influence), while mgm was used to calculate the predictability of each node within the network. The ggplot2 package was used to visualize network analysis result, and bootnet was applied to assess the structural reliability and robustness of the network, including the r accuracy assessment, the stability assessment of the centrality coefficients, and the difference test result of node centrality coefficients.
Results:A total of 3, 691 valid samples were obtained from the survey. The result of the network analysis showed that: (1) the strength of the association between phlegm dampness type and damp-heat type (r=0.370), qi-deficiency type and qi-depression type (r =0.315), qi-deficiency type and special diathesis type (r=0.260), qi-deficiency type and phlegm-dampness type (r=0.247), and the phlegm-dampness type and qi-depression type (r=0.247) was high. (2) The centrality of phlegm-dampness type and qi-deficiency type was the strongest, and the differences between the centrality coefficients of phlegm-dampness type and qi-deficiency type were not significant. There were no other nodes where all 4 centrality coefficients were not significantly different from qi-deficiency type and phlegm-dampness type, and the predictability of phlegm-dampness type and qi-deficiency type was the highest. (3)The result of the r accuracy assessment showed that the r of this network did not differ significantly from the average of multiple samples, so the r accuracy of this network was high. (4) Correlation stability(CS) coefficient of the four centrality indicators were CS Strength=0.59, CS Closeness=0.75, CS Betweenness=0.75, and CS Expected influence=0.75. This indicated that the stability of the centrality indicators of this network was very good.
Conclusion:Complex connections exist between various biased constitutions, and phlegm-dampness type and qi-deficiency type are the two key biased constitutions in the entire biased constitution.
- Full text:2025022609285642669Network analysis and core dimensions of the biased constitution in Chinese medicine based on 3, 691 cases.pdf
