Table 1.
Demographic Characteristics of All Climbers (n = 356)
| Characteristics variable | n (%) | Mean ± SD |
|---|---|---|
| Age (years)a | 35.2 ± 10.8 | |
| Gender male | 222 (62.4) | |
| Nationality | ||
| Malaysian | 251 (70.5) | |
| Non-Malaysian | 105 (29.5) | |
| Worry about AMS | 187 (52.5) | |
| Past experience with AMS | 48 (13.5) | |
| Ascend to >2500 m in the past 2 months | 27 (7.6) | |
| Consumed alcohol in the past 24 hours | 48 (13.5) | |
| Acetazolamide use | 53 (14.9) | |
| Fitness levelb | ||
| Unfit | 1 (0.3) | |
| Somewhat unfit | 31 (8.7) | |
| Average | 194 (54.4) | |
| Fit | 116 (32.5) | |
| Very fit | 14 (4.0) | |
| AMS knowledgeb | ||
| No | 64 (18.0) | |
| Limited | 165 (46.3) | |
| Sufficient | 122 (34.3) | |
| Expert | 5 (1.4) | |
| Chronic illnessesc | ||
| Metabolic syndrome | 19 (5.3) | |
| Bronchial asthma | 18 (5.1) | |
| Cardiology illnesses | 3 (0.8) | |
| Orthopedic illnesses | 5 (1.4) | |
a
Calculated based on 345 climbers, 11 missing values for age variable.
b
Fitness level and AMS knowledge were self-rated by climbers.
c
Metabolic syndrome included five diabetes mellitus, five dyslipidemia, eight hypertension, and one hyperuricemia. Cardiology illnesses included one acute coronary syndrome, one paroxysmal atrial tachycardia, and one arrhythmia. Orthopedic illnesses included two lumbar disk herniation, one femur platting, and two scoliosis.
AMS, acute mountain sickness; SD, standard deviation.