Table 4.
Demographic and clinical characteristics of participants in the three study groups (n = 240)
| Characteristics |
CS (n = 81) |
YS (n = 80) |
Placebo (n = 79) |
χ 2 | P | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| n | % | n | % | n | % | |||
|
Gender |
|
|
|
|
|
|
2.06 |
0.36 |
| Male |
27 |
33.33 |
32 |
40.00 |
35 |
44.30 |
|
|
| Female |
54 |
66.67 |
48 |
60.00 |
44 |
55.70 |
|
|
|
Age (years) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1.97 |
0.37 |
| 18–22 |
63 |
77.78 |
69 |
86.25 |
65 |
82.28 |
|
|
| 23–25 |
18 |
22.22 |
11 |
13.75 |
14 |
17.72 |
|
|
|
Marriage |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1.03 |
0.60 |
| Single |
81 |
100.00 |
79 |
98.75 |
78 |
98.73 |
|
|
| Married |
0 |
0.00 |
1 |
1.25 |
1 |
1.27 |
|
|
|
Family income (HK$)
a
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
5.24 |
0.87 |
| Below 10,000 |
8 |
9.88 |
13 |
16.25 |
10 |
12.66 |
|
|
| 10,000–19,999 |
23 |
28.39 |
29 |
36.25 |
27 |
34.18 |
|
|
| 20,000–29,999 |
23 |
28.39 |
22 |
27.50 |
23 |
29.11 |
|
|
| 30,000–39,000 |
17 |
20.99 |
10 |
12.50 |
15 |
18.99 |
|
|
| 40,000 or above |
10 |
12.35 |
3 |
3.75 |
4 |
5.06 |
|
|
|
Year of study |
|
|
|
|
|
|
7.37 |
0.29 |
| Year 1 |
25 |
30.86 |
32 |
40.00 |
21 |
26.58 |
|
|
| Year 2 |
27 |
33.33 |
30 |
37.50 |
32 |
40.51 |
|
|
| Year 3 |
19 |
23.46 |
12 |
15.00 |
21 |
26.58 |
|
|
| Year 4 |
10 |
12.34 |
6 |
7.50 |
5 |
6.33 |
|
|
|
Onset of AR |
|
|
|
|
|
|
11.92 |
0.29 |
| Before primary school |
23 |
28.40 |
20 |
25.00 |
24 |
30.38 |
|
|
| Primary school |
24 |
29.63 |
33 |
41.25 |
25 |
31.65 |
|
|
| Secondary school |
31 |
38.27 |
20 |
25.00 |
26 |
32.91 |
|
|
| University |
3 |
3.70 |
7 |
8.75 |
4 |
5.06 |
|
|
|
Frequency of AR attack |
|
|
|
|
|
|
15.36 |
0.12 |
| Daily |
24 |
29.63 |
18 |
22.50 |
26 |
32.91 |
|
|
| One to a few weekly |
28 |
34.57 |
17 |
21.25 |
21 |
26.58 |
|
|
| Once to a few monthly |
11 |
13.58 |
18 |
22.50 |
15 |
18.99 |
|
|
| Quarterly |
18 |
22.22 |
27 |
33.75 |
17 |
21.52 |
|
|
|
Reasons for AR |
|
|
|
|
|
|
17.13 |
0.51 |
| Allergens |
24 |
29.63 |
32 |
40.00 |
27 |
34.18 |
|
|
| Allergens and cold temperature |
57 |
70.37 |
48 |
60.00 |
52 |
65.82 |
|
|
|
History of Medical Treatments used |
|
|
|
|
|
|
6.43 |
0.60 |
| None |
42 |
51.85 |
48 |
60.00 |
41 |
51.90 |
|
|
| Western medicine and/or operation |
29 |
35.80 |
24 |
30.00 |
27 |
34.18 |
|
|
| Chinese medicine |
2 |
2.47 |
4 |
5.00 |
1 |
12.66 |
|
|
| Both Western and Chinese medicine |
8 |
9.88 |
4 |
5.00 |
10 |
12.66 |
|
|
|
Family History of AR |
|
|
|
|
|
|
14.53 |
0.41 |
| None |
27 |
33.33 |
34 |
42.50 |
31 |
39.24 |
|
|
| Parent |
18 |
22.22 |
15 |
18.75 |
10 |
12.66 |
|
|
| Sibling |
25 |
30.87 |
18 |
22.50 |
20 |
25.32 |
|
|
| Parents and siblings |
11 |
13.58 |
13 |
16.25 |
18 |
22.78 |
|
|
|
Other allergies |
|
|
|
|
|
|
10.68 |
0.71 |
| None |
44 |
55.32 |
47 |
58.75 |
48 |
60.76 |
|
|
| Skin allergy |
23 |
28.40 |
21 |
26.25 |
22 |
27.85 |
|
|
| Food allergy | 14 | 17.28 | 12 | 15.00 | 9 | 11.39 | ||
CS, Cure-allergic-rhinitis Syrup group; YS, Yu-ping-feng San group; AR, Allergic rhinitis.
aUS$1 = HK$7.8.