Design and Validation of the Questionnaire to Determine the Warmness and Coldness of the liver Mizaj (Temperament): A Self-Report Scale

 Traditional medicine use is growing, highlighting the need to standardize diagnostic indices and treatment methods. In Persian medicine (PM), the concept of Mizaj (temperament), especially the Mizaj of major organs such as the heart, brain, and liver, has an important role in diagnosing and treating diseases. The present study aimed to provide a standard tool for diagnosing the warm-cold Mizaj of the liver. 

 A two-stage exploratory study reviewed literature and interviewed PM specialists to identify and construct questions related to liver Healthy Mizaj and Su-e-Mizaj (dystemperament). After assessing the preliminary questionnaire's validity and reliability, the final questionnaire's sensitivity, specificity, and cutoff point were determined. The normal distribution was tested with Kolmogorov-Smirnov. ANOVA, post-hoc tests, and the Mann-Whitney test were used for normal distribution data.

 Twenty PM specialists, methodologists, and 245 volunteers participated in this study. The initial questionnaire was regulated based on 180 items in the data pool and after different stages of validity and reliability assessment, 13 items remained. Sensitivity and specificity according to the cutoff point were, respectively, 79 and 74 for the warm liver Mizaj, 80 and 74 for the cold, and so 70 and 77 for the moderate liver Mizaj.

 For diagnostic and research purposes, this is the first self-report questionnaire that assesses the warm and cold liver Mizaj in people aged 20 to 60.