Methods: A cross-sectional, correlative study design and purposive sampling was used. The participants were recruited from the outpatient clinic of the department of dermatology of a medical center, from the central Taiwan region. A total of 158 patients provided written informed consent and were subsequently enrolled in the study. The questionnaires were completed by the participants and collected in the outpatient waiting room. We used a structured questionnaire, including TCM body constitution questionnaire (BCQ; including Yang-Xu, Yin-Xu, and stasis body constitution questionnaires), dermatology life quality index questionnaire (DLQI), and assessed related factors of quality of life (including basic attributes, life style, and disease factors). Published and authorized questionnaires were used for the BCQ and DLQI. The Cronbach’s alpha values for Yang-Xu, Yin-Xu, and stasis body constitutions from the BCQ were 0.861, 0.846, and 0.855, respectively, and the Cronbach alpha value for the DLQI was 0.901.
Results: The average age of the participants was 44.06 years (SD = 13.79). Average total scores for Yang-Xu, Yin-Xu, and stasis body constitution were 31.63 (SD = 8.77), 33.11 (SD = 8.90), and 27.70 (SD = 8.04), respectively. Every participant show one or more than one body constitutions. The percentage of participants exhibiting a body constitution were Yang-Xu 45.6% (n = 72), Yin-Xu 58.2% (n = 92), and stasis 50.6% (n = 80) The average total DLQI score was 9.03 (SD = 6.48). Univariate analysis revealed that many factors such as Yang-Xu body constitution, Yin-Xu body constitution, stasis body constitution, age, perceived stress score, oral methotrexate (MTX) use, and the duration of use of TCM oral-combined topical agents were significantly (p < 0.05) related with quality of life of psoriasis patients. Multiple linear regression analysis (Stepwise model) demonstrated that factors, including age, life stress feelings score, Yang-Xu score and the duration of use of oral-combined topical agent, and oral MTX use (p < 0.1; R2 = 0.18) affected psoriasis patients’ quality of life.
Conclusion: This study showed that Yang-Xu body constitution significantly affected quality of life of psoriasis patients after adjusting other factors. As Yang-Xu body constitution worsened, so did quality of life. These results can establish empirical data that may serve as an important reference for medical personnel to provide combination TCM care measures for psoriasis patients with Yang-Xu body constitution, therefore improving their quality of life.