Table 2.
Patient characteristics at baseline.
| All patients | Matched patients | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Balneotherapy | Usual care |
P | Balneotherapy | Usual care |
P | |
| n = 120 | n = 137 | n = 70 | n = 70 | |||
| Gender, n (%) | 0.54 | 1.0 | ||||
| Male | 23 (19.2%) | 31 (22.6%) | 11 (15.7%) | 11 (15.7%) | ||
| Female | 97 (80.8%) | 106 (77.4%) | 59 (84.3%) | 59 (84.3%) | ||
| Age—years, mean ± SD | 51.3 ± 11.5 | 50.5 ± 10.9 | 0.54 | 52.1 ± 11.3 | 51.9 ± 10.8 | 0.90 |
| Married or living with a partner, n (%) | 78 (65.0%) | 99 (72.3%) | 0.23 | 42 (60.0%) | 48 (68.6%) | 0.38 |
| Number of children, n (%) | 0.83 | 0.84 | ||||
| None | 22 (18.3%) | 28 (20.4%) | 16 (22.8%) | 13 (18.6%) | ||
| One | 23 (19.2%) | 22 (16.1%) | 13 (18.6%) | 13 (18.6%) | ||
| ≥2 | 75 (62.5%) | 87 (63.5%) | 41 (58.6%) | 44 (62.8%) | ||
| Living in town ≥ 100.000 population, n (%) | 23 (19.2%) | 37 (27.0%) | 0.14 | 13 (18.6%) | 17 (24.3%) | 0.54 |
| BMI—kg/m2, mean ± SD | 31.3 ± 2.7 | 31.2 ± 2.5 | 0.76 | 31.4 ± 2.8 | 31.3 ± 2.6 | 0.75 |
| Weight status, n (%) | 0.70 | 1.0 | ||||
| Overweight | 75 (62.5%) | 82 (59.9%) | 42 (60.0%) | 42 (60.0%) | ||
| Obese | 45 (37.5%) | 55 (40.1%) | 28 (40.0%) | 28 (40.0%) | ||
| Fat mass > 35%, n (%) | 64 (53.3%) | 61 (44.5%) | 0.17 | 38 (54.3%) | 40 (57.1%) | 0.87 |
| Waistline measurement >100 cm, n (%) | 73 (60.8%) | 86 (62.8%) | 0.80 | 46 (65.7%) | 45 (64.3%) | 1.0 |
| Paternal history of obesity, n (%) | 46 (38.3%) | 44 (32.1%) | 0.36 | 24 (34.3%) | 28 (40.0%) | 0.60 |
| Maternal history of obesity, n (%) | 59 (49.2%) | 58 (42.3%) | 0.32 | 34 (48.6%) | 32 (45.7%) | 0.87 |
| Sibship history obesity, n (%) | 40 (33.3%) | 45 (32.9%) | 1.0 | 25 (35.7%) | 25 (35.7%) | 1.0 |
| Diabetic, n (%) | 14 (10.2%) | 6 (5.0%) | 0.16 | 8 (11.4%) | 4 (5.7%) | 0.37 |
| Current smoker, n (%) | 12 (11.7%) | 21 (15.3%) | 0.26 | 7 (10.0%) | 9 (12.9%) | 0.79 |
| Regular alcohol consumption, n (%) | 29 (24.2%) | 34 (24.8%) | 1.0 | 17 (24.3%) | 11 (15.7%) | 0.29 |
| Regular physical activities, n (%) | 23 (19.2%) | 28 (20.4%) | 0.88 | 14 (20.0%) | 11 (15.7%) | 0.66 |
| SBP ≥ 130 mmHg, n (%) | 81 (67.5%) | 70 (51.1%) | <0.01 | 44 (62.9%) | 44 (62.9%) | 1.0 |
| DBP ≥ 80 mmHg, n (%) | 75 (62.5%) | 70 (51.1%) | 0.08 | 44 (62.9%) | 41 (58.6%) | 0.73 |
| Pulse ≥ 70 beats per minute | 65 (54.2%) | 53 (38.7%) | 0.02 | 36 (51.4%) | 32 (45.7%) | 0.61 |
| SF12 mental score, mean ± SD | 59.3 ± 1.1 | 59.4 ± 1.1 | 0.44 | 59.4 ± 1.1 | 59.2 ± 1.1 | 0.26 |
| SF12 physical score, mean ± SD | 44.6 ± 9.8 | 46.5 ± 9.2 | 0.16 | 44.0 ± 10.4 | 46.5 ± 9.8 | 0.18 |