How Ninefold works.
A plain-language guide to the structure, scoring, research basis and limits of this educational self-assessment.
The framework
Ninefold is informed by the nine-constitution framework used in Chinese medicine: one balanced constitution and eight patterns of tendency. The full questionnaire draws on the 60-item Constitution in Chinese Medicine Questionnaire (CCMQ). Ninefold is an independent plain-language adaptation; its wording, translations and result experience have not themselves been clinically validated.
How scoring works
Each answer is scored from 1 (never) to 5 (almost always). Reverse-worded items are inverted. Some of the 60 questions contribute to more than one pattern, as they do in the source framework. Scores are standardized to a relative 0–100 scale so the nine dimensions can be compared; they are not clinical measurements. A balanced reflection requires a balanced score of at least 60 and all eight tendency scores below 30. Otherwise, a tendency is displayed only at 30 or above. Equal highest scores are shown as mixed; if none qualify, we show no clear leading pattern. These are display rules, not validated diagnostic thresholds. The two questions marked “if applicable” allow a not-applicable response, which is excluded from that scale’s denominator. This option is part of our adaptation and can affect comparability with the original CCMQ.
Privacy
Scoring happens in your browser. Answers and results are not sent to our application server. In-progress answers save automatically when browser storage is available. Completed reflections and seven-day notes are saved only when you choose Save on this device, up to five reports. You can delete them from the home page or clear this site’s browser data. Downloads remain on your device until you delete the file. We collect anonymous page and completion events without answers or constitution results.
Limits
This tool has not been designed to diagnose, treat or predict disease. Translation, adaptation, self-reporting and context can influence results. Use the profile as a prompt for reflection and, where appropriate, discussion with a qualified healthcare professional.
Research sources
These publications describe or evaluate the source CCMQ framework. They do not validate Ninefold’s independent adaptation.
- Validation of the Constitution in Chinese Medicine Questionnaire: Does the Traditional Chinese Medicine Concept of Body Constitution Exist?Wong et al., 2013 · Hong Kong validation study of the 60-item CCMQ
- Valid and Convenient Questionnaire Assessment of Chinese Body Constitution: Item Characteristics, Reliability, and Construct ValidationZhu et al., 2022 · reliability and construct analysis of the nine-constitution structure
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A plain-language guide to the structure, scoring, research basis and limits of this educational self-assessment.
Take the quiz