Short-Term and Long-Term Effects of an Exercise-Based Patient Education Programme in People with Multiple Sclerosis: A Pilot Study

Table 2

Sample characteristics.

	EG-I ()	EG-W ()	value
Gender, (male/female)	1/7	0/6	ns
Age (years), mean (±SD)	52.4 (±10.4)	56.0 (±7.4)	ns
EDSS score, median (IQR)	3.5 (2.25–3.5)	3.5 (2.0–3.5)	ns
Time since diagnosis (years), mean ± SD	12.5 (±10.0)	17.2 (±7.4)	ns
Type of MS,
RRMS/PPMS/SPMS/benign	3/3/1/1	4/1/1/0	ns
Level of education
Low/middle/high	1/2/5	0/3/3	ns
Medication,
Immuno/symptom/none	5/2/1	3/1/2	ns
Employment status,
Employed/unemployed	4/4	4/2	ns
Unemployed due to MS	4	1	—

Note. Mean (±SD) and median (IQR: interquartile range 25th–75th) are given for baseline T0; values were computed by Fisher-Freeman-Halton exact test for discrete variables and Mann–Whitney test for continuous variables (two-tailed; ); EG-I: immediate ePEP group; EG-W: waitlist-control group; ns: not significant; EDSS: Expanded Disability Status Scale; immuno: immunotherapy; symptom: symptomatic therapy; low education level: lower secondary school (years 5–9); middle education level: secondary school (years 5–10); high education level: A-level (German university entrance qualification; years 5–13).