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Introduction Yin-Yang is a major clinical theory of East-Asian traditional medicine for evaluating biopsychological and pathophysiological features. The purpose of current study was to evaluate the Yin-Yang personality of pediatric outpatients using Sasang Personality Questionnaire (SPQ) which has been used for both adolescents and adults. Methods A total of 249 pediatric outpatients completed the SPQ, and respondents were divided into two groups - toddlers and preschoolers (age 1–6, n = 153) and elementary students (age 7–12, n = 96). Gender differences in the SPQ were examined using the Chi-squared test and t-test, and chronological changes of Yin-Yang personality were illustrated with Pearson’s correlation and boxplots. Results The psychometric features of the SPQ in pediatric outpatients were in accordance with those previously reported in community children. The correlation between age and SPQ was not significant (r = 0.049, n.s.) in elementary students, which was consistent with previous studies; however, a significant negative correlation (r=-0.351, p Conclusions The chronological characteristics of Yin-Yang personality of preschoolers with SPQ might be useful for understanding East-Asian traditional pediatric theories from a biopsychological perspective. The clinical implications of the current results in person-centered prevention and health promotion were discussed.

Introduction Yin-Yang is a principal theory in East-Asian medicine for scrutinizing biopsychological predisposition and pathological susceptibility. The cognitive emotion regulation strategy governs immediate response to stressful events, and mediates the effects of personality on biopsychological health and well-being; however, its relation to Yin-Yang personality has yet to be examined. Methods 247 Korean university students completed the Sasang Personality Questionnaire (SPQ) for Yin-Yang personality and the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ). Stepwise regression analysis was employed to examine the effects of SPQ subscales on adaptive (aCERQ) and maladaptive CERQ (mCERQ) total score. Latent Profile Analysis was applied to extract hidden groups in aCERQ and mCERQ subscales, while Profile Analysis and the F-test examined differences in SPQ and CERQ subscale profiles and scores between extracted latent groups. Results Three SPQ subscales explained 13% and 8% of the total variance of the aCERQ and mCERQ total scores, respectively. High SPQ-Behavior and gender explained the aCERQ total score, while low SPQ-Behavior and high SPQ-Emotionality explained the mCERQ total score. There were significant differences in SPQ-Behavior and SPQ-Cognition between more and less adaptive groups, and in SPQ-Behavior and SPQ-Emotionality between less and more maladaptive groups. Conclusions The subscales of Yin-Yang personality was shown to explain the use of cognitive emotion regulation as individual trait and complex profile. The usefulness of Yin-Yang for improving mental health in college education were discussed.

Background: The Sasang typology is a traditional Korean personalized medicine and its Cold-Heat subgroup identification is essential for effective use of medical herbs and acupuncture. The purpose of this study was to discover differences between Cold-Heat subgroups with objective clinical measures and to examine its clinical usefulness. Methods: The pathophysiological symptoms of the digestive system, temperament and body shape of 241 patients were measured using the Sasang Digestive Function Inventory (SDFI), Sasang Personality Questionnaire (SPQ) and Body Mass Index (BMI). The differences between Cold and Heat subgroups of each Sasang types were tested by Analysis of Covariance considering age and sex, while the associations of SDFI, SPQ and BMI with Cold-Heat subgroup were examined by logistic regression analysis. Results: There were significant differences between Cold and Heat subgroups in SDFI, SPQ and BMI for the So-Yang, SDFI and BMI for the Tae-Eum type and SDFI-Digestion subscale for the So-Eum type. Moreover, the SDFI-Digestion was a substantial predictor for Cold-Heat subgroup identification in three Sasang types. The logistic regression model with SDFI, SPQ and BMI correctly predicted 81.9%, 77% and 75.5% of the Cold-Heat subgroups in So-Yang, Tae-Eum and So-Eum types, respectively. Conclusion: The results of the present study showed that the objective and validated clinical measures of SDFI, SPQ and BMI would be useful for differentiating Cold-Heat subgroups of Sasang typology. Further clinical studies on pathophysiological mechanisms in Cold-Heat subgroup are required to generalize these results. Keywords: Sasang typology, Cold-Heat subgroup, Sasang Digestive Function Inventory (SDFI), Sasang Personality Questionnaire (SPQ), Body Mass Index (BMI)

The purpose of this study was to review the pharmacognostic characteristics of Sasang type-specific medical herbs and suggest biological mechanisms that might be related to the personalized treatment of the East. Major compounds and their pharmacological activities of medical herbs for each Sasang types were systematically reviewed. The pharmacognostic characteristics of its main compounds were systematically analyzed with previous studies and three web-based databases. Sasang type-specific medical herbs were selected, and biological effects of their phytochemicals were reviewed from the pathophysiological features of each Sasang types. Phenolics were dominant in Tae-Yang type-specific herbs, iridoids and triterpenes with antipyretic and diuretic effects were in So-Yang type-specific, saponins (triterpene saponins and steroidal saponins) with antitussive effects were in Tae-Eum type-specific, and monoterpene and sesquiterpenes with stomachic effect were in So-Eum type-specific herbs. Pharmacognostic understandings on Sasang type-specific medical herbs with consideration of type-specific pathophysiological features were provided for the first time. This study would contribute to in-depth understandings on the pathophysiology of Sasang typology and integration of East-Asian and Western personalized medicine.

Background: Previous studies suggest that personality traits play an important role in academic burnout. The aim of this study was to investigate how Cloninger’s temperament and character traits explain academic burnout in a highly competitive environment of medical school. Methods: A total of 184 Korean medical students participated in the survey. The Cloninger’s Temperament and Character Inventory was measured around the beginning of the semester and Maslach Burnout Inventory-Student Survey at the end of the semester. The correlations and stepwise regression analysis were conducted to explain the association between personality traits and academic burnout. In addition, latent profile analysis and profile analysis were employed to distinguish and explain differences of personality traits among latent academic burnout subgroups. Results: The higher harm avoidance of temperament and lower self-directedness and cooperativeness of character predicted the subscales of academic burnout in medical students. The Temperament and Character Inventory personality profile of high, middle, and low latent burnout subgroups were significantly different. Conclusion: This study showed that personality might account for the burnout level in medical education. The importance of character dimension for modulating the effects of temperament traits on academic burnout was discussed for future research. Keywords: academic burnout, Korean medical students, latent profile analysis, temperament and character

Background: The Sasang Personality Questionnaire (SPQ) is an objective measure of Yin–Yang temperament of Sasang typology with proven clinical and structural validity; however, it has not been validated in people younger than 20 years. The purpose of this study was to examine the biopsychological structure of the SPQ in high school students. Methods: A total of 670 Korean high school students (365 boys and 305 girls) completed the SPQ, Junior version of Temperament and Character Inventory (JTCI), and weight and height measures. The correlation between the SPQ and JTCI subscales was investigated, and the differences of these subscales, body mass index, and Pondera Index between the high (30%), middle (40%), and low (30%) SPQ total score groups were examined with analysis of variance. The profile analysis was also performed to compare JTCI subscale profiles of the three SPQ total score groups. Results: The SPQ total score significantly correlated positively with JTCI novelty seeking (r = 0.548 and r = 0.540) and negatively with JTCI harm avoidance (r = –0.393 and r = –0.395) in boys and girls, respectively. The JTCI novelty-seeking score is significantly higher in the high SPQ total score group (24.12 ± 5.27 and 24.15 ± 5.17 for boys and girls, respectively) than in the low SPQ total score group (16.49 ± 5.08 and 17.24 ± 4.83, respectively), and the JTCI harm-avoidance score is significantly higher in the low SPQ total score group (25.34 ± 6.08 and 26.64 ± 5.77 for boys and girls, respectively) than in the high SPQ total score group (19.27 ± 6.62 and 19.23 ± 6.00, respectively). The JTCI subscale profiles for the three SPQ total score groups were significantly different for boys (degrees of freedom = 3.416, F = 292.16, p

Previous studies on the Sasang typology have focused on the differential diagnosis of each Sasang type with type-specific pathophysiological symptoms (TSPS). The purpose of this study was to elucidate the latent physiological mechanism related to these clinical indicators. We searched six electronic databases for articles published from 1990 to 2015 using the Sasang typology-related keywords, and found and analyzed 35 such articles. The results were summarized into six TSPS categories: perspiration, temperature preference, sleep, defecation, urination, and susceptibility to stress. The Tae-Eum and So-Eum types showed contrasting features with TSPS, and the So-Yang type was in the middle. The Tae-Eum type has good digestive function, regular bowel movement and defecation, high sleep quality, and low susceptibility to stress and cold. The Tae-Eum type has relatively large volumes of sweat and feels fresh after sweating; however, the urine is highly concentrated. These clinical features might be related to the biopsychological traits of the Tae-Eum type, including a low trait anxiety level and high ponderal and body mass indices. This study used the autonomic reactivity hypothesis for explaining the pathophysiological predispositions in the Sasang typology. The Tae-Eum and So-Eum Sasang types have a low threshold in parasympathetic and sympathetic activation, respectively. This study provides a foundation for integrating traditional Korean personalized medicine and Western biomedicine.

Introduction Yin-Yang is a pivotal theory of traditional East-Asian medicine, however it has been undervalued and misunderstood for the lack of a substantial and efficient educational program. The present study was undertaken to develop a module for teaching medical school students the biopsychological features of Yin-Yang using animation characters, and to assess its practicality. Methods Educational module for the Yin-Yang biopsychology using animation characters from “Pororo the Little Penguin” was developed, and was applied for teaching the science to the first grade medical students (n = 39). The module is comprised of two sessions: the first session (40 min) included edited video clips, short phrases of medical classics, and two types of quizzes; the second session (20 min) had a discussion and feedback on student assignments. The degree of satisfaction and difficulty, strength and weakness of the module, adequacy of the allocated time for class, and length of time used for assignment were analyzed. Results The enrolled class showed high scores for ‘understanding of Yin-Yang’ (8.15 ± 1.46), which correlated with ‘increased familiarity with the Yin-Yang theory’ (r = 0.636, p Conclusion The current educational module for the Yin-Yang of traditional East-Asian medicine using animation characters was highly satisfactory with low overall difficulty. We believe that knowledge of traditional East-Asian medicine might easily be introduced using animation to medical professionals, medical students, researchers, and the general public.

Background: Sasang typology is a widely used personalized traditional medicine in clinical diagnosis and treatment in Korea. The aim of this study was to examine the personality construct of the Sasang Personality Questionnaire (SPQ) to replicate the previous findings in the adolescent sample. Methods: A total of 543 high school students completed the SPQ and the Korean version of the Junior Temperament and Character Inventory (JTCI). The relationships between the subscales of JTCI and SPQ were examined using Pearson's correlation. The profile analysis and analysis of variance were used to investigate the difference among high, middle, and low SPQ total score groups. Results: The SPQ and its subscales were significantly correlated with the JTCI subscales. SPQ total score was positively correlated with Novelty Seeking (r = 0.424) and negatively correlated with Harm Avoidance (r = –0.291). The high, middle, and low SPQ total score groups showed significantly different JTCI profile (flatness with Greenhouse–Geisser correction, df = 3.424, F = 443.812, p

Background The current study aimed to examine the temperamental predictors of developmental trajectory subgroups of children's inattention and hyperactivity–impulsivity problems through a short-term longitudinal study. Methods Children (n = 1344) were divided into younger (age 6–8 years) and older (age 9–11 years) groups in order to observe changes in inattention and hyperactivity–impulsivity problems. Inattention and hyperactivity–impulsivity problems were measured three times at 5-month intervals and Cloninger's four temperaments (novelty seeking, harm avoidance, reward dependence, and persistence) were examined on the first occasion only. A cohort sequential design and growth mixture model were used for investigating trajectory subgroups and multiple logistic regression analysis to examine the temperamental predictors. Results Developmental trajectories of inattention and hyperactivity–impulsivity showed different subgroupings depending on the age group of children. Temperament (high score on novelty seeking and low score on persistence as well as high score on reward dependence) and gender predicted the likelihood of belonging to high-risk versus low-risk subgroups. Conclusion Suggestions taking into account the predictors of developmental trajectories in inattention and hyperactivity–impulsivity problems for future research are discussed along with the limitations of the current study.

Background Sasang typology is a personalized traditional medicine widely used in clinical diagnosis and treatment in Korea. The aim of this study was to examine the biopsychological personality profiles of traditional Korean Sasang typology in a clinical sample of Korean children. Methods A total of 150 children were classified as one of three traditional Korean Sasang types (19 So-Yang, 118 Tae-Eum, and 13 So-Eum) by two clinical experts in Sasang typology. The childrens' mothers completed the Korean version of the Junior Temperament and Character Inventory (JTCI). The four temperament dimensions of JTCI were compared between the different Sasang types using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and profile analysis. Results There were no significant differences in age, gender, and parents' education levels across the Sasang types. The JTCI temperament profile for each of the child Sasang types was significantly different (profile analysis, df=5.315, F =2.508, p =0.027). There were significant differences in novelty-seeking ( F =3.850, p =0.023) and novelty-seeking subscales, but not with other temperament dimensions. Conclusion These results demonstrated distinct temperament traits associated with traditional Korean Sasang types in children using an objective biopsychological personality inventory. With further investigation into the biopsychological profiles of the children, the longitudinal stability of the Sasang typology can be examined.