This is a cross-sectional study aimed to examine whether low self-rated health (SRH) is a risk factor for depression among young males and females. Data from the SRH, quality of life (QoL) and depression questionnaires as well as general information, were collected from 512 males and females aged 20–29 years in South Korea. Chi-square test was used to analyze the distribution of depression between the high and low SRH groups. Logistic regression was used to analyze the relationship between SRH and depression after adjusting for covariates. There were 32.6% males and 30.1% females who were at risk for depression. A significant difference in the distribution of depression between the low and high SRH groups in both males and females was found. The low SRH group had a higher prevalence of depression than the high SRH group in both males and females in the crude analysis. However, when the BMI, economic status, and mental component score were adjusted, the OR of the low SRH group was still significant in males. Low SRH may be a risk factor for depression especially in males. Further studies to improve SRH by developing preventive measures against depression status while considering gender characteristics are needed.

Sasang constitutional medicine is a traditional customized medicine in Korea that classifies people into four types: Taeeumin (TE), Taeyangin (TY), Soeumin (SE), and Soyangin (SY). This study explored whether Sasang constitution (SC) types combined with general obesity could be risk factors for prediabetes mellitus (pre-DM). This study was cross-sectional and was conducted from November 2007 to July 2011 in 23 Korean medical clinics. In total, 2185 eligible subjects participated. A t test, one-way ANOVA with Scheffé’s post hoc analysis, the chi-square test and multinomial logistic regression were used. Significance was indicated by p < 0.05. The numbers of participants with normal fasting plasma glucose (FPG) levels and pre-DM were 405 (75.3%) and 133 (24.7%) in the SE, 516 (70.3%) and 218 (29.7%) in the SY, and 590 (64.6%) and 323 (35.4%) in the TE (p < 0.001) groups, respectively. There was a significant difference in the proportion of each SC type among people with pre-DM and normal FPG levels in the normal BMI group. The odds ratios (ORs) of the TE type were significantly different from those of the SE type in the crude and Model 1. The distribution of the normal FPG and pre-DM individuals between the obese and normal BMI groups only for the SY type was significantly different. The SY type combined with general obesity had a higher OR (1.846, 95% CI 1.286–2.649) than that combined with normal BMI among participants with pre-DM, and this higher OR remained after adjusting for covariates (OR, 1.604, 95% CI, 1.093–2.354). This study revealed that the TE type might be a risk factor for pre-DM in the normal BMI group, and the SY type with general obesity could be a risk factor for pre-DM compared with the SY type with normal BMI. Accordingly, SC and BMI should be considered when managing pre-DM. To clarify the risk of SC and BMI, further study including epigenetic factors is needed.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to suggest the another Method of Treatment of Seunggi-Tang by reviewing ShanHanZaBingLun GuiLinGuBonMethods: The book of ShanHanZaBingLun GuiLinGuBon published by the Eui-Seong-Dang in 2004 was used. All Seunggi-tang was researched and classified into Method of Treatment.Results: Seunggi-tang included Doinseunggi-tang, Soseunggi-tang, Jowiseunggi-tang, and Daeseunggi-tang. There were two methods of using Seunggi-tang: the Ha treatment with usual volume and the Hwa treatment, with reduced volume. Seunggi-tang especially Soseunggi and Jowiseunggi-tang, were used not only as the Ha treatment but also as the Hwa treatment for several diseases such as gastrointestinal diseases with Bokman or Chogyeonghudang.Conclusions: This study reveals that Seunggi-Tang could be used Ha or Hwa treatment and Hwa treatment could be utilized in various clinical situation. Further study is needed.

The aim of this study was to investigate the predictive validity of the five organ pattern identification questionnaire(FOPIQ). Data collection was conducted from 190 people who were randomly selected from the general population living in D city from October 2016 to June 2017, and the collected data were analyzed by SPSS 23.0 Statistics Program. Pearson correlation coefficient was used to know the relation between the expert’s score and FOPIQ’s one. The cut-off value, sensitivity and specificity were analyzed through ROC-curve. Significant p was <.05. The pearson correlation coefficient was .735, .756, .762, .736, and .513 between individual score of FOPIQ and that of the experts in liver, heart, spleen, lung, and kidney, respectively. The cut-off value of the FOPIQ was 46.209, 47.276, 45.336, 48.823, and 42.508 in liver, heart, spleen, lung, and kidney respectively. The AUC derived from the cut-off value of the FOPIQ was .907, .854, .888, .902, and .781 respectively. This study suggests that the FOPIQ could be valid to apply for general population in clinics as well as health checkups.

This study investigated whether a person’s Sasang constitution (SC) could be a risk factor for depressive symptoms. We classified the SC of 653 participants into Taeeumin (TE), Soeumin (SE), and Soyangin (SY), using the KS–15 questionnaire. We also categorized them into depressive and non-depressive symptom groups using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale questionnaire. A t-test and chi-square test were used to compare the general characteristics of the depressive and non-depressive symptom groups. A one-way analysis of variance compared the scores of depressive symptoms according to SC, and a multiple logistic regression obtained the odds ratios (ORs); p < 0.05. The depressive symptom score for SE (13.6 ± 9.97) was significantly higher than that for SY (9.2 ± 6.51) and TE (10.8 ± 7.70; p < 0.001; SE > TE, SY, Scheffé). SE was associated with an increased prevalence of depressive symptoms compared with SY (OR: 2.315; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.389–3.860, p < 0.01) and TE (OR: 1.660; 95% CI: 1.076–2.561, p < 0.05), as well as an increased prevalence of depressive symptoms compared with SY (OR: 2.907; 95% CI: 1.379–6.144, p < 0.01) after adjusting for average height and distribution of living with family, medication, and drinking. This study reveals that SC, particularly SE, could be significantly associated with and be considered a risk factor for depressive symptoms.