Table 4.
Comparison between patients who newly developed nocebo behaviour during Covid-19-pandemic, and those who did not. SD: standard deviation, n: number, IHD: ischemic heart disease, DM: diabetes mellitus, COPD: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, HCQ: hydroxychloroquine.
| Development of new Nocebo behaviour(n=16) | Stable/attenuated Nocebo behaviour (n=62) | p-value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Demographics and co-morbidities | |||
| Age (years), mean ± SD | 49.7 ± 14.8 | 57.6 ± 15.6 | 0.03 |
| Sex (female), n (%) | 11 (68.7) | 40 (64.5) | 1.000 |
| Disease duration (years), mean ± SD | 12.5 ± 7.9 | 10.1 ± 9.4 | 0.117 |
| Co-habitating, n (%) | 9 (56.3) | 42 (67.7) | 0.395 |
| Region residence (urban), n (%) | 14 (87.5) | 43 (69.3) | 0.210 |
| Employment, n (%) | 16 (100.0) | 56 (90.3) | 0.336 |
| Higher education level, n (%) | 9 (56.3) | 16 (25.8) | 0.033 |
| Noceboprevious score | 12.4 ± 3.2 | 10.6 ± 4.0 | 0.05 |
| Hypertension, n (%) | 2 (12.5) | 24 (38.7) | 0.07 |
| IHD, n (%) | 1 (6.25) | 5 (8.1) | 1.000 |
| Dyslipidaemia, n (%) | 0 (0.0) | 10 (16.1) | 0.112 |
| Osteoporosis, n (%) | 2 (12.5) | 11 (17.7) | 1.000 |
| Depression, n (%) | 3 (18.8) | 12 (19.3) | 1.000 |
| Anxiety, n (%) | 1 (6.25) | 0 (0.0) | 0.205 |
| DM, n (%) | 2 (12.5) | 7 (11.3) | 1.000 |
| COPD, n (%) | 0 (0.0) | 1 (1.6) | 1.000 |
| On Biologics, n (%) | 10 (62.5) | 37 (59.6) | 1.000 |
| On HCQ, n (%) | 2 (12.5) | 9 (14.5) | 1.000 |
| COVID-19-pandemic related features | |||
| Drug discontinuation due to fear, n (%) | 0 (0.0) | 2 (3.2) | 1.000 |
| Drug discontinuation due to lack of resources, n (%) | 0 (0.0) | 7 (11.2) | 0.334 |
| Covid-19 symptoms, n (%) | 0 (0.0) | 4 (6.4) | 0.576 |
| Consultation of a clinician, n (%) | 5 (31.3) | 14 (22.3) | 0.520 |
| Outcome (worse), n (%) | 4 (25.0) | 8 (12.9) | 0.254 |