Preprint / Version 1

Biopsychological traits of Sasang typology based on Sasang personality questionnaire and body mass index

Authors

  • Soo Lee Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Washington University, Saint Louis, MO 63110 USA
  • Soo Park Department of Psychology, Yonsei University, Seoul, 120-749 Korea
  • C Cloninger Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Washington University, Saint Louis, MO 63110 USA
  • Yun Kim Department of Sasang Constitutional Medicine, College of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon University, Daejeon, 300-716 Korea
  • Minwoo Hwang Department of Sasang Constitutional Medicine, College of Korean Medicine, KyungHee University, Seoul, 130-701 Korea
  • Han Chae Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Washington University, Saint Louis, MO 63110 USA

Keywords:

Biopsychological traits, Sasang typology, Sasang personality questionnaire, Body mass index

Abstract

The purpose of present study was to examine biological and psychological characteristics of people according to the Sasang typology, which is popular in Korea. We evaluated the Sasang Personality Questionnaire (SPQ) as a measure of temperament, and Body Mass Index (BMI) as a measure of the somatic properties of each Sasang type. Methods Subjects were 2506 (877 males, 1629 females) outpatients between the ages of 20 through 70 who requested traditional medical assessment and treatment in Korea. The structural validity of the SPQ was examined and its correlation with BMI was analyzed. The SPQ and BMI measures of each Sasang type across age and gender were presented and their differences were analyzed with Analysis of Variance. Results Confirmatory factor analysis and path analysis identified an acceptable three-factor structure of the SPQ measuring differences in individual’s behavior, emotion, and cognition. SPQ scores (29.71 ± 1.00, 28.29 ± 0.19 and 26.14 ± 0.22) and BMI scores (22.92 ± 0.09, 25.56 ± 0.10 and 21.44 ± 0.10) were significantly (p < 0.001) different among So-Yang, Tae-Eum and So-Eum Sasang types, respectively. Conclusions The results showed that the SPQ and BMI is a reliable measure for quantifying the biopsychological characteristics of each types, and useful for guiding personalized and type-specific treatment with medical herbs and acupuncture. Keywords: Biopsychological traits, Sasang typology, Sasang personality questionnaire, Body mass index

Author Biographies

Soo Lee, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Washington University, Saint Louis, MO 63110 USA

Department of Psychotherapy, Nursing and Public Health, Kyungil University, Daegu, 712-701 Korea

Han Chae, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Washington University, Saint Louis, MO 63110 USA

Division of Longevity and Biofunctional Medicine, School of Korean Medicine, Pusan National University, Pusan, 609-735 Korea