Table 1.
Characteristics of the women at trial entry by allocated treatment group.
| Acupuncture group, n = 46 | Control group, n = 46 | |
|---|---|---|
| Age in yearsa | 19.5 (2.9) | 18.9 (3.2) |
| BMI | ||
| Underweight | 4 (8.7) | 3 (6.5) |
| Normal (18.5 to <25) | 29 (63.0) | 26 (56.5) |
| Overweight (25 to <30) | 6 (13.0) | 9 (19.6) |
| Obese (≥30) | 2 (4.3) | 4 (8.7) |
| Missing | 5 (10.9) | 4 (8.7) |
| Currently smoking | 5 (10.9) | 2 (4.3) |
| Ever alcohol drinking | 29 (63.0) | 33 (71.7) |
| Finished high school | 10 (21.7) | 12 (26.1) |
| Completed tertiary education | 14 (30.4) | 13 (28.3) |
| SEIFA | ||
| Low SEI | 14 (30.4) | 8 (17.4) |
| High SEI | 15 (32.6) | 21 (45.7) |
| Menstrual pain intensity | 5.6 (3.1) | 6.1 (2.5) |
| Other menstrual symptoms | 46 (100.0) | 44 (95.7) |
| Need for additional analgesia | 43 (93.5) | 41 (89.1) |
| Restricted activities | 24 (52.2) | 20 (43.5) |
| SF36 | ||
| Physical functioningb | 95 (70–100.0) | 95 (90–100) |
| Role physicalb | 100 (75–100) | 100 (50–100) |
| Bodily pain | 53.8 (20.6) | 55.4 (18.7) |
| General health | 68.8 (17.5) | 67.7 (21.2) |
| Vitality | 53.7 (20.5) | 55.7 (16.3) |
| Social functioning | 75.3 (20.9) | 77.2 (19.5) |
| Role emotional | 74.1 (36.9) | 75.6 (34.4) |
| Mental health | 63.5 (21.7) | 69.4 (14.8) |
| Overall Physical Component (SF36) | 49.0 (8.6) | 49.3 (6.8) |
| Overall Mental component | 43.9 (13.1) | 45.3 (9.8) |
| Brazier Health State Utility | 0.7 (0.1) | 0.81 (0.1) |
Values are number (%) of women.
aValues are mean (SD), or median (IQR).
bSEIFA, a measure of the socio-economic well-being of Australian communities, and identify areas of advantage and disadvantage [19].