Table 1. General and obstetric characteristics among the study groups. Campinas, SP, Southeastern Brazil, 2013.

Variable	Study group			p

	SP6	Touch	Control

	N = 52	N = 52	N = 52
Mean age in years (SD)	26.8 (7.1)	26.4 (6.4)	25.2 (7.3)	0.4567^a,ⱳ
Education in years of study, (SD)	9.4 (2.6)	9.8 (2.4)	9.6 (3.0)	0.8954^a,ⱳ
Marital status, n (%)
With partner	49 (94.2)	50 (96.2)	49 (94.2)	–
Single	3 (5.8)	2 (3.9)	3 (5.8)	–
Mean number of pregnancies (SD)	2.6 (1.7)	2.3 (1.5)	1.8 ±1.2	0.0232 ^a,ⱳ
Parity, n (%)
Nulliparous	21 (40.4)	28 (53.9)	29 (55.8)	0.2319^a,Ԛ
Multiparous	31 (59.7)	24 (46.2)	23 (44.2)

Before treatment

Amniotic membranes, n (%)
Intact	26 (50.0)	38 (73.1)	24 (46.2)	0.0416^b,Ԛ
Artificial rupture	11 (21.2)	4 (7.7)	9 (17.3)
Spontaneous rupture	15 (28.9)	10 (19.2)	19 (36.5)
Mean cervical dilation (cm) (SD)	4.9 (0.8)	4.65 (0.9)	4.6 (0.9)	0.1455^a,ⱳ
Mean number of contractions (SD)	3.3 (1.0)	3.19 (1.1)	3.4 (0.9)	0.6212^c,ⱳ
Intensity of contractions, n (%)
Weak	0 (0.0)	4 (7.7)	2 (3.9)	0.1693^b,ʄ
Moderate	25 (48.1)	30 (57.7)	26 (50.0)
Strong	27 (51.9)	18 (34.6)	24 (46.2)

During treatment

Mean number of contractions in 20 min (SD)	7.02 (1.8)	6.3 (2.0)	7.5 (2.2)	0.0137 ^c,ⱳ

After treatment

Mean number of contractions in 60 min (SD)	3.6 (1.1)	3.4 (1.2)	3.6 (1.1)	0.4484^c,ⱳ
Intensity of contractions, n (%)
Weak	2 (4.3)	3 (6.1)	4 (8.3)	0.7995^b,ʄ
Moderate	20 (42.6)	18 (36.7)	15 (31.3)
Strong	25 (53.2)	28 (57.1)	29 (60.4)
Amniotic membranes, n (%)
Artificial rupture	10 (19.2)	21 (40.4)	14 (26.9)	0.0518^b,Ԛ
Spontaneous rupture	7 (13.5)	6 (11.5)	2 (3.9)
Others (cesarean section or previous rupture)	35 (67.3)	25 (48.1)	36 (69.2)

^a p < 0.05

^b p < 0.025

^c p < 0.0167

^ⱳ Kruskal-Wallis test

^Ԛ Chi-square test

^ʄ Fisher’s exact test

Values with statistical significance are shown in bold.