TABLE 4.

Subgroup analysis according to the Cold–Heat & Deficiency‐Excess pattern identification according to the traditional medicine theory

	Brief Fatigue Inventory (BFI) score
	Mean difference (Mx–UC)	p	Mean difference (Mx–SMx)	p
Cold pattern
Week 9	−1.64 (−2.27, −1.00)	<0.001*	−0.06 (−0.83, 0.70)	0.870
Week 13	−2.16 (−2.96, −1.36)	<0.001*	−1.21 (−2.10, −0.32)	0.009*
Heat pattern
Week 9	−0.56 (−2.71, 1.60)	0.561	0.35 (−2.33, 3.04)	0.751
Week 13	−1.46 (−3.41, 0.50)	0.121	−0.40 (−3.76, 2.96)	0.772
Deficiency pattern
Week 9	−1.50 (−2.49, 0.52)	0.004*	−0.51 (−1.62, 0.60)	0.355
Week 13	−1.93 (−3.14, −0.73)	0.003*	−1.04 (−2.25, 0.18)	0.092
Excess pattern
Week 9	−1.54 (−2.33, −0.76)	<0.001*	0.41 (−0.56, 1.37)	0.394
Week 13	−2.35 (−3.27, −1.43)	<0.001*	−1.31 (−2.52, −0.11)	0.034*

Data shown as mean differences (95% Confidence Interval). Mx, moxibustion group; UC, usual care group; SMx, sham moxibustion group.

^* p value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant.