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Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine >

2026 , Vol. 46 >Issue 1: 236 - 244

DOI: https://doi.org/10.19852/j.cnki.jtcm.2026.01.023

Original Articles

Chinese medicine syndrome differentiation—kidney deficiency syndrome (KDS) for women during pregnancy: Delphi expert consensus on a self-reported KDS symptoms scale followed by psychometric properties evaluation

  • An CHEN ,
  • Jiawen ZHANG ,
  • Du GAO ,
  • Tianyi ZHOU ,
  • Hongshan LOU ,
  • Lanzhong GUO ,
  • Fan QU
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  • 1 School of Public Health, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou 310000, China
    2 University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Haartmaninkatu 2, Helsinki 00330, Finland
    3 Department of Chinese Integrative Medicine, Women’s Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310000, China
    4 Department Traditional Chinese Medicine, Dongyang Maternal and Child Hospital, Dongyang 322100, China

Received date: 2025-01-14

  Accepted date: 2025-05-14

  Online published: 2026-01-28

Supported by

National Natural Science Foundation of China: to Explore the Intergenerational Effects of Bu-Shen-Tian-Jing Therapeutic Principle on the Offspring of Hyper-Androgenic Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Based on Regulating Rhythmic Iron Death in the Ovarian Granulosa Cells Mediated by Fos Proto-Oncogene-Retinoic Acid Receptor-Related Orphan Receptor A-Solute Carrier Family 7 Member 11(82274564);National Natural Science Foundation of China: the Underlying Mechanism of Bu-Shen-Jian-Pi Therapeutic Principle in Regulating Ovarian Granulosa Cells Autophagy Mediated by Short-chain Fatty Acids-forkhead Box O1 Pathway and its Effects on the Development of Offspring of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome(82074476);Open Fund Project of Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Maternal and Infant Health, Women’s Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University: Mediating Role of Kidney Deficiency in the Relationship between Fear of Childbirth and Delivery Modes: an Exploratory Investigation Grounded in the Classic Traditional Chinese Medicine Theories of “Fear Injuring Kidney” and “Kidney Storing Essence”(ZDFY2024-MI-2)

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Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To develop an expert consensus on kidney deficiency syndrome (KDS) in pregnant women and construct a validated self-reported KDS Patient-Reported Measures Pregnancy Scale (KDS-PRMs-Pregnancy Scale) for early identification and management.

METHODS: The study was conducted in three phases. First, a comprehensive review of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) literature and diagnostic criteria was performed, generating initial KDS symptoms for pregnancy. Second, a two-round Delphi survey, involving 21 experts from TCM, obstetrics, and gynaecology, assessed importance, relevance, and appropriateness of the items. Third, a psychometric evaluation was conducted, including exploratory factor analysis and internal consistency assessment.

RESULTS: In the first Delphi round, 19 items were flagged for revision or removal due to expert variability, with 12 items deemed irrelevant. In the second round, consensus was reached, resulting in a 25-item scale. After psychometric evaluation, seven items were removed due to poor factor loadings, leaving an 18-item scale. Three factors—physiological discomfort, fatigue & weakness, and excretion abnormalities—accounted for 78.4% of the variance. The final scale demonstrated excellent internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.959).

CONCLUSION: The validated 18-item KDS-PRMs-Pregnancy Scale is a reliable tool for assessing KDS in pregnant women. Future research should focus on validation in diverse populations and exploring its predictive validity for pregnancy outcomes.

Key words： kidney deficiency; pregnancy; expert consensus; patient-reported measures; Delphi method

Cite this article

An CHEN , Jiawen ZHANG , Du GAO , Tianyi ZHOU , Hongshan LOU , Lanzhong GUO , Fan QU . Chinese medicine syndrome differentiation—kidney deficiency syndrome (KDS) for women during pregnancy: Delphi expert consensus on a self-reported KDS symptoms scale followed by psychometric properties evaluation[J]. Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 2026 , 46(1) : 236 -244 . DOI: 10.19852/j.cnki.jtcm.2026.01.023

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