Table 2.
Baseline characteristics of the study population in the acupuncture (ACU) and the combined oral contraceptive (COC) groups.
| Variable | ACU | COC | P value |
|---|---|---|---|
| (n = 27) | (n = 25) | ||
| Mean (SD) | |||
| Age (years) | 24.15 (6.0) | 26.48 (4.4) | 0.119 |
| Age at menarche (years) | 12.70 (1.5) | 13.32 (1.2) | 0.110 |
| Duration of dysmenorrhea (years) | 14.96 (3.3) | 15.76 (2.7) | 0.350 |
| Number of dysmenorrhea days per cycle (days) | 2.96 (1.4) | 3.16 (1.4) | 0.615 |
| Maximal dysmenorrhea pain scores (NRS) | 8.33 (1.5) | 7.92 (1.4) | 0.297 |
| Rescue analgesic use (tablets per menstrual cycle) | 4.07 (3.1) | 4.00 (3.4) | 0.934 |
| Quality of life (SF-36) (score points) | 85.30 (13.2) | 91.72 (16.8) | 0.130 |
|
| |||
| n (percent) | |||
|
| |||
| Ability to work | 0.693 | ||
| Unaffected | 0 | 1 (4.00) | |
| Rarely affected | 5 (18.52) | 5 (20.00) | |
| Moderately affected | 12 (44.44) | 12 (48.00) | |
| Significantly affected | 10 (37.04) | 7 (28.00) | |
| Associated symptoms | |||
| None | 0 | 2 (8.00) | 0.134 |
| Nausea | 11 (40.74) | 5 (20.00) | 0.105 |
| Vomiting | 5 (18.52) | 1 (4.00) | 0.102 |
| Headache | 17 (62.96) | 8 (32.00) | 0.026 |
| Diarrhea | 8 (29.63) | 10 (40.00) | 0.432 |
| Fatigue | 23 (85.19) | 16 (64.00) | 0.078 |
| Fever | 3 (11.11) | 1 (4.00) | 0.336 |
| Dizziness | 10 (37.04) | 7 (28.00) | 0.488 |
| Other | 7 (25.93) | 7 (28.00) | 0.866 |
| Verbal multidimensional scoring system (VMSS) grading | 0.088 | ||
| Grade 2 | 5 (18.52) | 10 (40.00) | |
| Grade 3 | 22 (81.48) | 15 (60.00) | |
∗ P values are based on Student's t-test or chi-square test as appropriate. SD: standard deviation; n: number of individuals: NRS: numeric rating scale (0 to 10); SF-36: Short Form Health Survey.