Association between subjective health status and responses to traditional Korean medicine assessments in healthy adults: A cross-sectional study

Subjective health status comprises an individual's self-assessment of health and indicates their actual health outcomes. This study aimed to explore the relationship between traditional Korean Medicine (KM) inquiry outcomes and subjective health status to provide a better understanding of the potential benefits of KM practices, which have been overlooked in existing research. This observational study recruited 5987 healthy adults (age ≥ 19 years) between April 11, 2022, and December 19, 2023. Participants were surveyed using standardized KM inquiries and subjective health status assessments. Statistical analyses included chi-square tests and multivariate logistic regression analyses to examine the relationship between KM inquiry outcomes and subjective health status. An analysis of 4935 respondents who completed KM inquiries revealed that factors affecting subjective health status for both men and women included appetite, digestive discomfort, residual urine sensation, waking condition, cold intolerance, and exercise habits. Factors affecting subjective health status differed slightly by sex; for men, dry mouth and alcohol consumption were significant, whereas, for women, dry mouth, meal frequency, sleep quality, and feelings after sweating were significant. This study confirms the utility of KM inquiries in assessing the subjective health status of healthy adults and provides insights into the development of sex-specific lifestyle health-management strategies.