Development of the Plateau Multidimensional Health Questionnaire

Migrants to high-altitude regions face multi-system health risks but lack comprehensive assessment tools. This study developed the "Plateau Multidimensional Health Questionnaire" and surveyed 1237 migrants in plateau region (male 74.8%, female 25.2%; age 22.35 ± 6.51 years). Exploratory factor analysis identified five factors: Digestive-Autonomic Nervous Dysfunction (F1, variance 12.53%), Abnormal Thermoregulation (F2), Skin Metabolism Abnormalities (F3), Immune-Inflammatory Response (F4) , and Endocrine Imbalance (F5) ,which collectively explained 53.47% of the variance (Cronbach's α = 0.708). The results showed: F1 was significantly positively correlated with F2-F5 (r = 0.287–0.379, p < 0.01), suggesting a pivotal role of autonomic regulation in multi-system comorbidity. Female participants scored significantly higher than males on F1-F3 (p < 0.01), which may be related to estrogen-immune interactions. The group aged ≥31 years had higher incidence of F1/F4, while the 20-25 years group had a prominent F3, reflecting age-specific exposure risks. This study provides the first multidimensional assessment framework for plateau health management, with future research needed to validate these findings using longitudinal data.