Relationships between Pathological Patterns and Quality of Life: Pathway Analysis

Area of Science:

• Integrative Medicine
• Traditional Korean Medicine
• Health Psychology

Background:

• Quality of life (QoL) is a crucial health outcome.
• Understanding the impact of specific pathological patterns on QoL is essential for effective treatment.
• Traditional Korean Medicine categorizes illness into distinct pathological patterns.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the direct and indirect relationships between various pathological patterns and self-rated quality of life (QoL).
• To identify which specific pathological patterns most significantly influence QoL.
• To explore the potential of pathological patterns in estimating the stage of decreased QoL.

Main Methods:

• A pathway model was constructed using path analysis.
• 426 Korean subjects completed questionnaires assessing Yin Deficiency (YD), Qi Deficiency (QD), Food Stagnation (FS), Blood Stasis (BS), Phlegm, Seven Emotions Impairment (SEI), and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ).
• Statistical analysis was performed to determine the influence of pathological patterns on QoL.

Main Results:

• The pathway model demonstrated satisfactory fitness (GFI = 0.975, NFI = 0.984, CFI = 0.984).
• Phlegm and SEI patterns were found to directly decrease QoL.
• QD, YD, FS, and BS patterns indirectly decreased QoL, with specific patterns correlating to early, middle, and later stages of decreased QoL.

Conclusions:

• Pathological patterns significantly impact QoL, both directly and indirectly.
• Specific patterns can serve as indicators for different stages of diminished QoL.
• This research highlights the importance of addressing pathological patterns in improving patient QoL within Traditional Korean Medicine frameworks.