Family functioning and mobile phone addiction in university students: Mediating effect of loneliness and moderating effect of capacity to be alone.

Background: With the increasing popularity of smartphones, mobile phone addiction in university students has attracted widespread societal attention. Previous studies showed that family functioning and mobile phone addiction are related. However, the potential mechanisms involved in this relationship are unknown. This study examined the mediating effect of loneliness and the moderating effect of capacity to be alone on the relationship between family functioning and mobile phone addiction. Methods: A total of 1,580 university students were recruited. A cross-sectional study design and online questionnaire survey were employed to measure demographic variables, family functioning, loneliness, capacity to be alone, and mobile phone addiction in university students. Results: Family functioning is a significantly negative predictor of mobile phone addiction in university students, and loneliness has a mediating effect on the relationship between family functioning and mobile phone addiction. The capacity to be alone has moderating effects on the relationship between family functioning and loneliness and between family functioning and mobile phone addiction, and these correlation is stronger in university students with a low capacity to be alone. Conclusion: The moderated mediation model in this study improves understanding of the correlation between family functioning and mobile phone addiction in university students. Education professionals and parents should pay particular attention to family functioning in mobile phone addiction, particularly university students with low capacity to be alone.

Xiaopiyishen Herbal Extract Granule Improves the Quality of Life among People with Fatigue-Predominant Subhealth and Liver-Qi Stagnation and Spleen-Qi Deficiency Syndrome.

To observe the effects of Xiaopiyishen Herbal Extract Granule (XPYS-HEG) on the quality of life in people with fatigue-predominant subhealth (FPSH) and liver-qi stagnation and spleen-qi deficiency syndrome, the participants were allocated randomly to the treatment group (XPYS, n = 100) and the control group (placebo, n = 100) in this study. The study period was 18 weeks (6 weeks for the intervention and 12 weeks for followup). The results show that there were no differences between the two groups for the scores of eight factors on the SF-36 (Chinese version of the SF-36 universal quality-of-life scale) at baseline. Compared with the baseline score, intervention with XPYS-HEG led to a significant increase in scores for the factor of bodily pain at the end of the 6th week. Compared with the score at the end of the 6th week, the score for the factor of mental health in the XPYS group significantly increased at the end of the 18th week. Therefore, XPYS-HEG could partially improve the quality of life for people with FPSH and liver-qi stagnation and spleen-qi deficiency syndrome, which can ease bodily pain, stimulate a positive mood, and ease a negative mood.

[Effects of Xiaopi Yishen herbal extract granules in treatment of fatigue-predominant subhealth due to liver-qi stagnation and spleen-qi deficiency: a prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled and double-blind clinical trial].

BACKGROUND: The demand for effective intervention for subhealth conditions is growing with increasing numbers of people being in a state of subhealth with a poor quality of life. Future research and evaluation of the treatment methods for subhealth conditions from the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) may provide an important direction for developing effective management of these conditions. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of Xiaopi Yishen herbal extract granules (XPYS-HEG), a compound traditional Chinese herbal medicine for relieving fatigue and promoting a cheerful spirit for the treatment of people with fatigue-predominant subhealth due to liver-qi stagnation and spleen-qi deficiency. DESIGN, SETTING PARTICIPANTS AND INTERVENTIONS: A multi-center, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical study was undertaken. The study period was 18 weeks, including 6 weeks for intervention and 12 weeks for follow-up. Participants were recruited from medical center and outpatient clinics of three hospitals in China, i.e. Xiaotangshan Hospital of Beijing, the First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of TCM and the Affiliated Hospital of Liaoning University of TCM. Two hundred participants who met the criteria of fatigue-predominant subhealth and liver-qi stagnation and spleen-qi deficiency in TCM were allocated randomly to the treatment group (XPYS, n=100) and control group (placebo, n=100). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The total score of Fatigue Scale-14 (FS-14) was used to evaluate the fatigue status of subjects and the extent of liver-qi stagnation and spleen-qi deficiency syndrome was also recorded. RESULTS: Three cases in the XPYS group withdrew from the trial. There were 200 subjects who entered to full analysis set (FAS) analysis and 197 subjects fitted in the per-protocol set (PPS) analysis. (1) According to the score changes of FS-14, the effectiveness rates in the XPYS and placebo group were as follows: 14.0% vs 9.0% (FAS) and 14.4% vs 9.0% (PPS) for complete remission, 19.0% vs 15.0% (FAS) and 19.6% vs 15.0% (PPS) for obvious effects, 39.0% vs 26.0% (FAS) and 39.2% vs 26.0% (PPS) for effective, and 72.0% vs 50.0% (FAS) and 73.2% vs 50.0% (PPS) for complete efficacy. The efficacy of XPYS-HEG was superior to the placebo statistically (P<0.05). (2) According to the score changes of TCM syndrome, the effectiveness rates in the XPYS group and placebo group were as follows: 1.0% vs 0.0% (FAS) and 1.0% vs 0.0% (PPS) for complete remission, 20.0% vs 7.0% (FAS) and 19.6% vs 7.0% (PPS) for obvious effects, 29.0% vs 24.0% (FAS) and 29.9% vs 24.0% (PPS) for effective, and 50.0% vs 31.0% (FAS) and 50.5% vs 31.0% (PPS) for complete efficacy. The efficacy of XPYS-HEG was superior to that of placebo statistically (P<0.05). (3) The follow-up results at 12 weeks and 18 weeks showed that the efficacy of XPYS-HEG was superior to that of placebo statistically (P<0.05). (4) No adverse effects were found in the XPYS group. CONCLUSION: It can be concluded that XPYS-HEG is effective and safe for the treatment of people with fatigue-predominant subhealth due to liver-qi stagnation and spleen-qi deficiency.

[Distribution characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine syndromes and their elements in people with subhealth fatigue].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndromes and their elements in people with subhealth fatigue. METHODS: The TCM symptoms in line with the diagnostic criteria of subhealth fatigue status were collected by clinical investigations and using information collection form based on TCM four diagnostic methods. Referred to Clinical Guidelines of Chinese Medicine on Subhealth and other related standards, the syndrome type was identified in accordance with clinical symptoms of each patient with subhealth fatigue by two physicians. The data of syndrome differentiation were analyzed by descriptive statistical analysis. RESULTS: There were 81 syndrome types from 495 cases of subhealth fatigue. There were 24 syndrome types after separation, and the top ten were liver stagnation and spleen deficiency, stagnation of liver qi, hyperactivity of liver fire, disharmony between liver and stomach, damp obstruction due to spleen deficiency, deficiency of both heart and spleen, yin deficiency of liver and kidney, yang deficiency of spleen and kidney, stagnation of gallbladder and disturbance of phlegm, and internal disturbance of phlegm-heat. There were 17 syndrome elements, including seven disease location elements and ten disease nature elements. The disease location elements were liver, spleen, kidney, stomach, heart, gallbladder and lung. The disease nature elements were qi stagnation, qi deficiency, exuberance of fire (heat), damp obstruction, phlegm obstruction, yin deficiency, adverse flow of qi, yang deficiency, blood deficiency, and blood stasis. CONCLUSION: Syndrome types of subhealth fatigue involve in deficiency syndrome, excess syndrome, and mixture of deficiency and excess syndromes. The syndrome elements of disease location involve five zang organs and two fu organs, and the liver and spleen were the most frequently involved organs. The syndrome elements of disease nature involve deficiency and excess. Qi stagnation is most frequently involved in the excess syndrome, and qi deficiency is most frequently involved in the deficiency syndrome.

[Characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine syndromes and their element distributions in sub-health status: a modern literature review].

OBJECTIVE: To probe into the characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine syndromes and their element distributions in sub-health status. METHODS: Literatures on sub-health in past 20 years were collected, and a data bank was set up by using EpiData 2.0. The frequencies of syndromes and their elements were analyzed using SPSS 12.0. RESULTS: Out of the 50 syndromes obtained from the standardization of syndrome nomenclature, and the top three were stagnation of liver-qi, deficiency of both heart and spleen, and deficiency of liver-yin and kidney-yin. Spleen, liver and kidney were the top three of all the 14 disease locations. Qi-deficiency, qi-stagnation and damp pathogen were the top three pathogenicity types. CONCLUSION: Although the traditional Chinese medicine syndromes in sub-health status are scattered in the distribution, the main syndromes take up a leading proportion and their elements are concise and concentrated in distribution. Therefore, it is necessary to make a standard study on traditional Chinese medicine syndromes in sub-health status from syndrome elements.