Table 1.
Comparison of subject characteristics of the study of mindfulness meditation training compared with an attentional control for women with irritable bowel syndrome 2006–2009a
| Mindfulness group | Support group | |
|---|---|---|
| (a) Demographic characteristics | ||
| Age | 44.72 (12.55) | 40.89 (14.68) |
| Race | ||
| White | 29 (81%) | 25 (64%) |
| African-American | 5 (14%) | 8 (21%) |
| Other or not disclosed | 2 (6%) | 6 (15%) |
| Education | ||
| High-school graduate | 0 (0%) | 3 (8%) |
| Some college or technical school | 9 (25%) | 14 (36%) |
| Completed 4 years of college | 7 (19%) | 9 (23%) |
| Some graduate/ professional school | 6 (17%) | 4 (10%) |
| Completed graduate/ professional school | 13 (36%) | 8 (21%) |
| Not disclosed | 1 (3%) | 1 (3%) |
| Family income | ||
| < $20,000 | 3 (8%) | 4 (10%) |
| $21,000–40,000 | 6 (17%) | 15 (38%) |
| $41,000–$60,000 | 9 (25%) | 6 (15%) |
| $61,000–$80,000 | 5 (14%) | 7 (18%) |
| > $80,000 | 10 (28%) | 5 (13%) |
| Not disclosed | 3 (8%) | 2 (5%) |
| Relationship status | ||
| Single—never married | 8 (22%) | 16 (41%) |
| Living with a partner— not married | 2 (6%) | 3 (8%) |
| Married | 18 (50%) | 10 (26%) |
| Divorced or separated | 5 (14%) | 8 (21%) |
| Widowed | 2 (6%) | 1 (3%) |
| Not disclosed | 1 (3%) | 1 (3%) |
| (b)Clinical characteristics at enrollment | ||
| Overall IBS severity (IBS-SS) | 284.06 (84.34) | 287.54 (109.90) |
| IBS-QOL score | 64.80 (19.80) | 67.42 (20.50) |
| Psychological distress (BSI-18) | 57.06 (8.35) | 56.24 (9.67) |
| Mindfulness score (FFMQ) | 127.87 (22.33) | 129.70 (23.31) |
BSI-18, brief symptom inventory-18; FFMQ, five-facet mindfulness questionnaire; IBS, irritable bowel syndrome; IBS-QOL, irritable bowel syndrome-quality of life.
Values are given as mean (s.d.) or n (%).
a
No differences between groups were statistically significant.