Table 1.
Baseline characteristics of trial participants: comparing those with and without a treatment preference.
| Baseline characteristics | With a treatment preference (n = 70) | Without a treatment preference (n = 280) |
|---|---|---|
| Socio-demographic | ||
| Mean (SD) age (years) | 65.3 (9.3) | 62.7 (8.6) |
| Women | 42 (60%) | 173 (62%) |
| Body mass index | ||
| Underweight or normal | 16 (23%) | 56 (20%) |
| Overweight | 33 (47%) | 124 (45%) |
| Obese | 21 (30%) | 97 (35%) |
| Socio-economic classificationa | ||
| Higher managerial or professional | 8 (12%) | 21 (8%) |
| Lower managerial or professional | 11 (16%) | 45 (17%) |
| Intermediate occupations | 12 (18%) | 45 (17%) |
| Self-employed | 4 (6%) | 19 (8%) |
| Lower supervisory or technical | 4 (6%) | 16 (6%) |
| Semi-routine | 16 (24%) | 65 (25%) |
| Routine | 12 (18%) | 50 (19%) |
| Currently employed | 26 (37%) | 111 (40%) |
| Knee pain and function | ||
| Mean (SD) WOMAC pain score | 9.1 (4.0) | 9.1 (3.6) |
| Mean (SD) WOMAC function score | 31.1 (13.5) | 30.2 (13.0) |
| Total duration of knee pain (years) | ||
| <1 | 23 (33%) | 125 (45%) |
| 1 to <5 | 25 (36%) | 87 (31%) |
| 5 to <10 | 8 (11%) | 32 (11%) |
| ⩾10 | 14 (20%) | 36 (13%) |
| Onset of current problems | ||
| Sudden | 29 (41%) | 131 (47%) |
| Gradual | 41 (59%) | 149 (53%) |
| Mean (SD) pain severity in past 7 days | 6.3 (2.2) | 5.8 (2.2) |
| Mean (SD) pain unpleasantness in past 7 days | 6.4 (2.3) | 5.8 (2.3) |
| Randomised treatment | ||
| Advice and exercise (A&E) | 23 (33%) | 93 (33%) |
| A&E + true acupuncture | 22 (31%) | 93 (33%) |
| A&E + non-penetrating acupuncture | 25 (36%) | 94 (34%) |
a
Office of National Statistics. Standard occupational classification, 2000, vol. 2. The coding index. The Stationary Office: London, 2000:4. Office for National Statistics. The National Statistics Socio-economic classification user manual. Version 1. ONS: London, 2002:4.