Table 1. Demographics and clinical characteristics of the study population.
| Characteristics | Experimental group (n = 20) | Control group (n = 18) | P value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sex (female) | 15 (75.0) | 11 (61.1) | 0.489 | |
| Age, yr | 49.40 ± 11.76 | 48.67 ± 12.90 | 0.856 | |
| Married | 14 (70.0) | 12 (66.7) | 0.976 | |
| Education, yr | 15.50 ± 2.14 | 15.72 ± 3.18 | 0.942 | |
| BMI, kg/m2 | 23.32 ± 2.19 | 23.61 ± 2.71 | 0.715 | |
| Medication use (present) | 6 (30.0) | 3 (23.7) | 0.627 | |
| Smoker | 2 (10.0) | 1 (5.6) | 0.612 | |
| Alcohol | 10 (50.0) | 10 (55.6) | 0.732 | |
| Questionnaires, score | ||||
| PSS | 25.85 ± 4.97 | 24.22 ± 5.17 | 0.329 | |
| BDI-II | 31.70 ± 10.14 | 29.72 ± 10.09 | 0.551 | |
| ISI | 17.40 ± 5.84 | 17.22 ± 5.14 | 0.922 | |
| STAI-S | 58.45 ± 9.68 | 55.06 ± 10.83 | 0.346 | |
| STAI-T | 59.65 ± 10.28 | 56.78 ± 9.29 | 0.374 | |
| PSQI | 11.95 ± 3.65 | 11.83 ± 3.19 | 0.917 | |
| WHOQOL | 69.70 ± 12.95 | 67.61 ± 11.19 | 0.600 | |
| Blood test | ||||
| IL-6, pg/mL | 1.35 ± 0.88 | 1.20 ± 0.75 | 0.707 | |
| BDNF, ng/mL | 27.21 ± 6.84 | 30.46 ± 6.34 | 0.139 | |
| TNF-α, pg/mL | 0.70 ± 0.22 | 0.69 ± 0.24 | 0.613 | |
| Cortisol, μg/dL | 8.21 ± 3.47 | 8.58 ± 2.80 | 0.723 | |
| ACTH, pg/mL | 13.49 ± 5.61 | 16.41 ± 7.56 | 0.196 | |
Data are presented as mean ± standard deviation for numerical data and as number (percentage) for categorized data.
BMI = body Mass Index, PSS = Perceived Stress Scale, BDI-II = Beck Depression Inventory-II, ISI = Insomnia Severity Index, STAI = State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, PSQI = Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, WHOQOL = World Health Organization Quality of Life assessment instrument, IL-6 = interleukin-6, BDNF = brain-derived neurotrophic factor, TNF-α = tumor necrosis factor-alpha, ACTH = adrenocorticotropic hormone.