Objective. Body trunk measurement for human plays an important diagnostic role not only in conventional medicine but also
in Sasang constitutional medicine (SCM). The Sasang constitutional body trunk measurement (SCBTM) consists of the 5-
widths and the 8-circumferences which are standard locations currently employed in the SCM society. This study suggests to
what extent a comprehensive training can improve the reliability of the SCBTM. Methods. We recruited 10 male subjects and
5 male observers with no experience of anthropometric measurement. We conducted measurements twice before and after a
comprehensive training. Relative technical error of measurement (%TEMs) was produced to assess intra and inter observer
reliabilities. Results. Post-training intra-observer %TEMs of the SCBTM were 0.27% to 1.85% reduced from 0.27% to 6.26%
in pre-training, respectively. Post-training inter-observer %TEMs of those were 0.56% to 1.66% reduced from 1.00% to 9.60% in
pre-training, respectively. Post-training % total TEMs which represent the whole reliability were 0.68% to 2.18% reduced from
maximum value of 10.18%. Conclusion. A comprehensive training makes the SCBTM more reliable, hence giving a sufficiently
confident diagnostic tool. It is strongly recommended to give a comprehensive training in advance to take the SCBTM.
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