Table 4.
Minimal important differences calculated by observed- and adjusted mean score changes
| Observed changes† (Post-test - Pre-test) |
Adjusted changes (Post-test - Then-test) |
||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N | Mean change | SD | 95% CI | Mean change | SD | 95% CI | |
| Paina | 234* | 30.8* | |||||
| improved | 58 | -14.7 | 35.9 | (-24,-5) | -17.5 | 27.1 | (-25,-10) |
| unchanged | 126 | -1.7 | 20.9 | (-5,2) | 4.9 | 19.5 | (2,8) |
| deteriorated | 50 | +17.3 | 23.1 | (11,24) | +27.0 | 29.9 | (19,35) |
| Fatiguea | 233* | 25.3* | |||||
| improved | 56 | -13.5 | 24.7 | (-20,-7) | -13.9 | 26.3 | (-21,-7) |
| unchanged | 119 | -2.0 | 17.3 | (-5,1) | 4.6 | 16.5 | (2,8) |
| deteriorated | 58 | +8.6 | 23.4 | (3,15) | +20.5 | 22.3 | (15,26) |
| Physical Functionb | 227* | 22.6* | |||||
| improved | 73 | +6.2 | 15.3 | (3,10) | +9.3 | 16.1 | (6, 13) |
| unchanged | 96 | -0.1 | 12.6 | (-3,3) | -1.6 | 10.4 | (4,0) |
| deteriorated | 58 | -12.8 | 19.2 | (-18,-8) | -20.1 | 18.9 | (-15,-25) |
| Quality of Lifeb | 238* | 23.9* | |||||
| improved | 79 | +7.6 | 23.7 | (2,13) | +14.7 | 19.8 | (10,19) |
| unchanged | 110 | 0.4 | 19.1 | (-3,4) | 1.3 | 15.7 | (-2,4) |
| deteriorated | 49 | -12.1 | 21.2 | (-18,-6) | -12.2 | 14.7 | (-8,-12) |
a: Positive scores mean worse symptoms
b: Positive scores mean better functioning
†: Observed changes are defined as minimal important differences because these are the changes that patients regard as a definite improvement or deterioration)
*: Total sample (improved, no change and deteriorated)
CI: Confidence Interval