Table 3.
Baseline characteristics of the participants in both the groups
| Variables | Parameters | IG (n=25) | CG (n=27) | P $ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age:Mean±SD | 43.68±9.97 | 35.22±11.80 | 0.448 | |
| Gender | Male | 18 (72.0) | 18 (66.7) | 0.677 |
| Female | 7 (28.0) | 9 (33.3) | ||
| Clinical features | Asymptomatic | 9 (36.0) | 8 (29.6) | 0.625 |
| Symptomatic | 16 (64.0) | 19 (70.4) | ||
| Stage of disease | Group A | 8 (32.0) | 8 (29.6) | 0.530 |
| Group B | 14 (56.0) | 14 (51.9) | ||
| Group C | 3 (12.0) | 5 (18.5) | ||
| Comorbidities | COPD | 1 (4.0) | 0 | - |
| Bronchial asthma | 2 (8.0) | 2 (7.4) | 0.936 | |
| Diabetes mellitus | 3 (12.0) | 2 (7.4) | 0.575 | |
| Hypertension | 2 (8.0) | 5 (18.5) | 0.267 | |
| Cardiovascular disease | 0 | 2 (7.4) | - | |
| Thyroid dysfunction | 0 | 3 (11.1) | - | |
| Bowel habits | Regular | 22 (88.0) | 22 (81.5) | 0.515 |
| Irregular | 3 (12.0) | 5 (18.5) | ||
| Appetite | Normal | 23 (92.0) | 23 (85.2) | 0.442 |
| Disturbed | 2 (8.0) | 4 (14.8) | ||
| Stool consistency | Normal | 22 (88.0) | 20 (74.1) | 0.203 |
| Constipated | 3 (12.0) | 7 (25.9) |
$Compared using Chi-square/Fisher’s exact test. Values have been expressed as n (%) for all variables except age. IG: Intervention group, CG: Control group, SD: Standard deviation, COPD: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease