Electroacupuncture for Functional Constipation: A Multicenter, Randomized, Control Trial
Table 1
Demographic and baseline characteristics of the patients (intention-to-treat population).
Characteristic
LCI ()
HCI ()
MC ()
value
Sex, (%)
Female
52 (89.66)
60 (92.31)
57 (85.07)
0.41
Age, years, mean ± SD
0.55
Range
20.00–63.00
22.00–62.00
23.00–69.00
BMI, mean ± SD
0.83
Education, (%)
0.09
Postgraduate
8 (13.79)
15 (23.08)
21 (31.34)
Bachelor
31 (53.45)
26 (40.00)
21 (31.34)
Junior college
4 (6.90)
9 (13.85)
7 (10.45)
Senior middle school
15 (25.86)
13 (20.00)
15 (22.39)
Junior middle school
0 (0.00)
2 (3.08)
3 (4.48)
Duration of constipation, months, mean ± SD
0.45
Severe constipation, (%)
34 (58.62)
32 (49.23)
34 (50.75)
0.54
The analysis of variance (ANOVA) for continuous variables and the Cochran–Mantel–Haenszel- (CMH-) test for categorical variables. values of the comparison among the three groups. Severe constipation defined as spontaneous bowel movements less than 2 times per week.
