Shu-Chuan Amy Lin1, Pei-Yi Chu2, Li-Li Chen3, Yi-Chang Su4, Shin-Mae Wang5. 1. Department of Public Health, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; Department of Nursing, Show Chwan Memorial Hospital, Changhua City, Taiwan. 2. Department of Pathology, Show Chwan Memorial Hospital, Changhua City, Taiwan; School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Fu-Jen Catholic University, New Taipei City, Taiwan. 3. School of Nursing, College of Health Care, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; Department of Nursing, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan. 4. Graduate Institute of Chinese Medical Science, College of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan. 5. Department of Brest surgery, Show Chwan Memorial Hospital, Changhua City, Taiwan. Electronic address: wangznmg@gmail.com.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to apply a rigorous traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) body constitution questionnaire (BCQ) to survey the prevalence rate of deviations in body constitution and to explore the health-related lifestyle behavior factors of deviations in body constitution. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study was administered through postal mail. Subjects were recruited from a national organization for breast cancer patients (Taiwan Breast Cancer Alliance). SETTING/MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Data were obtained from 311 breast cancer patients by questionnaires including a demographic record sheet, lifestyle behavior scales and the BCQ (Yang-Xu, Yin-Xu, and Stasis). Differences concerning the presence of body constitutions were analyzed by Chi-square tests and analyses of variance, and potential predictive factors were analyzed using multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS: In total, 55.3% of the subjects had a Yang-Xu constitution, 61.0% had a Yin-Xu constitution, and 47.6% had a Stasis constitution. A total of 42.8% of the patients displayed a combination of the three types of body constitutions. Feeling stressed, physical exercise, and favoring fried food were predictors of the combined Yang-Xu, Yin-Xu and Stasis constitutions (p<0.05). Staying up late was significantly associated with Yin-Xu (p=0.017), and favoring salty food was significantly associated with Stasis (p=0.019). CONCLUSIONS: A high prevalence of deviations in body constitutions was observed in the follow-up stage of breast cancer patients. Increasing the adherence to healthy lifestyle behaviors might strengthen and balance body constitution, which could improve supportive care in breast cancer survivors.
OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to apply a rigorous traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) body constitution questionnaire (BCQ) to survey the prevalence rate of deviations in body constitution and to explore the health-related lifestyle behavior factors of deviations in body constitution. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study was administered through postal mail. Subjects were recruited from a national organization for breast cancerpatients (Taiwan Breast Cancer Alliance). SETTING/MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Data were obtained from 311 breast cancerpatients by questionnaires including a demographic record sheet, lifestyle behavior scales and the BCQ (Yang-Xu, Yin-Xu, and Stasis). Differences concerning the presence of body constitutions were analyzed by Chi-square tests and analyses of variance, and potential predictive factors were analyzed using multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS: In total, 55.3% of the subjects had a Yang-Xu constitution, 61.0% had a Yin-Xu constitution, and 47.6% had a Stasis constitution. A total of 42.8% of the patients displayed a combination of the three types of body constitutions. Feeling stressed, physical exercise, and favoring fried food were predictors of the combined Yang-Xu, Yin-Xu and Stasis constitutions (p<0.05). Staying up late was significantly associated with Yin-Xu (p=0.017), and favoring salty food was significantly associated with Stasis (p=0.019). CONCLUSIONS: A high prevalence of deviations in body constitutions was observed in the follow-up stage of breast cancerpatients. Increasing the adherence to healthy lifestyle behaviors might strengthen and balance body constitution, which could improve supportive care in breast cancer survivors.