Table 1. Characteristics of the patients and caregivers according to the group-based modeling used in the study (disease stage and quality of life of the patients).^a .

Variable		Patient groups			p*
	ES+NI-QoL	AS+NI-QoL	ES+I-QoL	AS+I-QoL
	n = 28	n = 30	n = 5	n = 28
Patients
Male	22 (78)	13 (43)	2 (40)	14 (50)	0.03
Age, years	68.0 ± 8.2	64.2 ± 11.8	62.6 ± 12.9	64.1 ± 12.6	NS
KPS score	91.4 ± 6.5	85.7 ± 7.3	80.0 ± 18.7	80.7 ± 11.2	< 0.001
Under treatment Level of education, years	23 (82)	23 (77)	3 (60)	15 (54)	0.09
≤ 9	22 (79)	19 (63)	4 (100)	24 (86)	NS
> 9 Smoking status	6 (21)	11 (37)	0 (0)	4 (14)
Never smoker	3 (11)	6 (20)	2 (40)	10 (36)	NS
Ever smoker	25 (89)	24 (80)	3 (60)	18 (64)
Smoking history, pack-years Histological type	50.5 ± 36.3	35.6 ± 33.6	52.8 ± 61.2	29.9 ± 30.5	NS
Squamous cell	10 (36)	10 (33)	2 (40)	8 (28)	NS
Adenocarcinoma	14 (50)	16 (54)	1 (20)	16 (57)
Others	4 (14)	4 (13)	2 (40)	4 (15)
		Patient gr oups
Caregivers	ES+NI-QoL	AS+NI-QoL	ES+I-QoL	AS+I-QoL
Female	25 (89)	24 (80)	4 (80)	23 (82)	NS
Age, years Level of education, years	48.8 ± 9.5	45.3 ± 14.7	39.8 ± 10.8	50.4 ± 14.7	NS
≤ 9	10 (36)	10 (33)	0 (0)	13 (47)	NS
> 9 Smoking status	18 (64)	20 (67)	5 (100)	15 (53)
Never smoker	15 (54)	20 (67)	3 (60)	18 (64)	NS
Ever smoker	13 (46)	10 (33)	2 (40)	10 (36)
Smoking history, pack-years Relationship between caregiver and pati ent	7.6 ± 15.4	9.4 ± 17.3	6.2 ± 3.3	4.9 ± 11.0	NS
Child	16 (57)	13 (43)	4 (80)	12 (44)	NS
Spouse	10 (36)	10 (33)	0 (0)	8 (28)
Sibling Direct caregiving, h/day	2 (7)	7 (24)	1 (20)	8 (28)
< 4	24 (86)	14(47)	3(60)	12 (43)	0.004
≥ 4	4 (14)	16(53)	2 (40)	16 (57)

ES: early-stage (cancer); NI: non-impaired; QoL: quality of life; AS: advanced-stage (cancer); I: impaired; KPS: Karnofsky Performance Status; and NS: not significant. ^aValues expressed in n (%) or mean ± SD. *Chi-square test and one-way ANOVA.