Table I.

Characteristics of the demographic factors of the study patients.

	Temporary FAs1		Persistent FAs1
	n	%2	n	%2	p-value3
Total	59		26
Female gender	38	64	21	81	0.131
Age (years)
20–49	21	36	7	27	0.433
50–64	38	64	19	73	0.433
Body Mass Index (BMI)
≥30	9	15	11	42	<0.010**
Alcohol consumption
Abstinence	10	17	11	44	<0.010**
Smoking
Current smoker	21	36	5	19	0.131
Education
No vocational education	16	27	14	54	<0.050*
Marital status					na
Single	6	10	1	4
Married or live together	34	58	12	48
Widowed	3	5	4	16
Separated/divorced	16	27	8	32
Children
≥3	16	27	2	8	<0.050*

Notes: ¹Frequent attenders.

²Percentage of the class in this FA group.

³Bivariate analyses, categorical variables: Pearson's chi-squared test.³ Year 2002, first year of the follow-up.

*Significant at 0.050 level.

**Significant at 0.010 level.