Table 1.
Baseline characteristics of the study population according to the study groups (intervention group, n = 103 and control group, n = 126)
| Characteristics | n | Intervention group (n = 103) | n | Control group (n = 126) | Balance of covariates (p value)* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Value (median, range or %) | Value (median, range or %) | ||||
| Gestational week at enrollment | 7 (3–12) | 7 (3–13) | 0.65 | ||
| Maternal age (years) | 31 (21–40) | 31 (21–41) | 0.65 | ||
| Relationship status | 0.48 | ||||
| Married/cohabitating | 100 | 97.1 | 121 | 96.1 | |
| Single | 3 | 2.9 | 5 | 3.9 | |
| Higher education | 0.42 | ||||
| Yes | 89 | 86.4 | 105 | 83.3 | |
| No | 14 | 13.6 | 21 | 16.7 | |
| Employment status | 0.02 | ||||
| Employed | 71 | 68.9 | 63 | 50.0 | |
| Employed in the health sector | 23 | 22.3 | 39 | 30.9 | |
| Other | 9 | 8.8 | 24 | 19.1 | |
| Primigravida | 0.22 | ||||
| Yes | 64 | 62.1 | 61 | 48.4 | |
| No | 39 | 37.9 | 65 | 51.6 | |
| Folic acid supplementation before/during pregnancy | 0.23 | ||||
| Yes | 102 | 99.1 | 124 | 98.4 | |
| No | 1 | 0.9 | 2 | 1.6 | |
| PUQE score | 6 (3–14) | 6 (3–15) | 0.40 | ||
| Chronic conditions | |||||
| Asthma | 9 | 8.7 | 15 | 11.9 | 0.44 |
| Allergies | 20 | 19.4 | 32 | 25.4 | 0.28 |
| Hypothyroidism | 4 | 3.9 | 6 | 4.8 | 0.75 |
| Depression/anxiety | 7 | 6.8 | 9 | 7.1 | 0.92 |
| Other** | 19 | 18.4 | 26 | 20.6 | 0.50 |
n number of women, SD standard deviation, PUQE score Pregnancy Unique Quantification of Emesis score
*Chi-square tests were used to compare categorical variables, and Student’s t tests were used to compare continuous variables
**Other chronic conditions include ADHD, cardiovascular disease, chronic fatigue syndrome, Crohn’s disease, eczema, endometrioses, epilepsy, fibromyalgia, high cholesterol, hyperthyroidism, irritable bowel syndrome, mental disorders, migraine, multiple sclerosis, polycystic ovary syndrome, psoriasis, rheumatic diseases, sarcoidosis, and ulcerative colitis