Objective

To collect data of TCM body constitution of Chinese population aged 15 and above

and to analyze and describe the distribution characteristics of their TCM body constitution types.

Methods

Data of 108 015 cases were collected using Constitution in Chinese Medicine Questionnaire (for Adults) and Constitution in Chinese Medicine Questionnaire (for the Elderly) via the internet and terminal equipment

and distribution characteristics of body constitution types were analyzed from such perspectives as the whole sample population

gender

age and region. In addition

the representativeness and distribution of data were analyzed with

χ

2

test.

Results

There was statistically significant difference in sex ratio but not in age structure between the sample population and the whole population of China in 2015. In the sample population on the whole

the proportion of people with gentleness (balanced) constitution type was 28.98%

and those with 8 imbalanced constitution types accounted for 71.02%

the top three types being yang-deficiency type (16.41%)

qi-deficiency type (13.18%) and wetness-heat (damp-heat) type (10.23%). In the 15-64 age group

those with gentleness constitution type made up 28.80%

and those with 8 imbalanced constitution types 71.20%

the top three types being yang-deficiency type (16.75%)

qi-deficiency type (13.57%) and wetness-heat type (11.30%). In the group aged above 64

people with gentleness constitution type added up to 30.25%

and those with 8 imbalanced types 69.75%

the top three types being yin-deficiency type (14.04%)

yang-deficiency type (13.97%)

and phlegm-wetness (phlegm-damp) type (10.70%)

followed by qi-deficiency type (10.39%). There were significant differences in body constitution type distribution between different gender

age and region groups.

Conclusion

The age structure of the sample population is consistent with that of the whole population of China in 2015

meaning the former is representative of the latter from this perspective. The proportion of people with gentleness constitution type in each age group was smaller than 1/3 of the whole group and smaller than that 10 years ago

while the proportion of those with imbalanced constitution types increased. The top 3 imbalanced types in the whole sample population were yang-deficiency type

qi-deficiency type and wetness-heat type

the sequence of which was different from that 10 years ago. Constitution distribution patterns were different for different gender

age and region groups.