Electroacupuncture for Functional Constipation: A Multicenter, Randomized, Control Trial

Table 2

Secondary outcomes.

	Mean (95% CI)
	LCI ()	HCI ()	MC ()	value
Weekly SBMs
Baseline	2.85 (2.32, 3.38)	2.81 (2.37, 3.25)	2.84 (2.38, 3.30)	0.98
Week 2 change from baseline	1.53 (1.03, 2.03)	1.95 (1.49, 2.41)	1.63 (1.17, 2.09)	0.58
Week 4 change from baseline	1.55 (0.93, 2.17)	2.24 (1.81, 2.67)	1.81 (1.37, 2.25)	0.21
Week 8 change from baseline	1.38 (0.74, 2.02)	2.02 (1.62, 2.42)	1.62 (1.14, 2.10)	0.19
Stool consistency
Baseline	2.40 (2.12, 2.68)	2.46 (2.21, 2.71)	2.28 (2.01, 2.55)	0.57
Week 2 change from baseline	0.64 (0.38, 0.90)	0.97 (0.66, 1.28)	0.92 (0.66, 1.18)	0.27
Week 4 change from baseline	0.78 (0.45, 1.11)	0.80 (0.58, 1.02)	0.95 (0.64, 1.26)	0.93
Week 8 change from baseline	0.99 (0.73, 1.25)	0.79 (0.53, 1.05)	0.85 (0.57, 1.13)	0.73
Straining severity
Baseline	1.20 (1.04, 1.36)	1.33 (1.19, 1.47)	1.23 (1.07, 1.39)	0.54
Week 2 change from baseline	−0.50 (−0.67, −0.33)	−0.49 (−0.65, −0.33)	−0.33 (−0.49, −0.17)	0.14
Week 4 change from baseline	−0.44 (−0.62, −0.26)	−0.53 (−0.71, −0.35)	−0.41 (−0.60, −0.22)	0.38
Week 8 change from baseline	−0.54 (−0.77, −0.31)	−0.59 (−0.76, −0.42)	−0.34 (−0.52, −0.16)	0.20

versus baseline; versus baseline.
p and values were used through the Signed-Rank test.
values were for the comparison among the three groups and were calculated with the analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), except for the comparison of the baseline values, which used an analysis of variance (ANOVA).
(1) SBMs denote spontaneous bowel movements.
(2) Stool consistency was assessed with the use of the 7-point Bristol Stool Form Scale (BSFS): 1 indicating separate, hard lumps, like nuts (hard to pass); 2 sausage-shaped but lumpy; 3 like a sausage but with cracks on the surface; 4 like a sausage or snake, smooth, and soft; 5 soft blobs with clear-cut edges (passed easily); 6 fluffy pieces with ragged edges or a mushy stool; and 7 watery, not solid pieces (entirely liquid).
(3) Straining severity was assessed by means of a 4-point ordinal scale with the following responses, while 0 indicates not at all, 1 a little bit, 2 a moderate amount, and 3 a great deal and an extreme amount.