Do constitutional types really exist? A further study using grade of membership analysis.
'Constitutional types' are a feature of homeopathy. Constitutions are constellations of mental, physical and general features. We present results of a 152-item 'Constitutional Type Questionnaire' (CTQ), relating to 19 major constitutional remedies. Patients referred to the Royal London Homoeopathic Hospital (RLHH) were recruited from outpatient clinics. Each remedy was assigned eight associated features. Each item is rated as it applies to the subject most of the time on a five-point scale. Grade of Membership analysis (GOM) was used for evaluation of remedy profiles. Four hundred and forty-seven individuals provided usable data. Demographic data were collected. A nine pure type solution provided the best fit to the data. Few subjects had exclusive 'membership' of one pure type. There are some difficulties in interpretation; for instance some groups were characterised by the absence of 'constitutional' features. Some pure types are coherent, recognisable types. The results give some support to the homeopathic concept of constitution. CTQ results correlate quite well with the actual prescribing of homeopaths. Further validation with other cohorts is required and with refinement it might become a useful screening method. It cannot simulate complex information processing performed by homeopathic practitioners.
Duke Scholars
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- United Kingdom
- Surveys and Questionnaires
- Reproducibility of Results
- Multivariate Analysis
- Models, Statistical
- Middle Aged
- Male
- London
- Humans
- Homeopathy
Citation
Published In
DOI
ISSN
Publication Date
Volume
Issue
Start / End Page
Location
Related Subject Headings
- United Kingdom
- Surveys and Questionnaires
- Reproducibility of Results
- Multivariate Analysis
- Models, Statistical
- Middle Aged
- Male
- London
- Humans
- Homeopathy