Table 2.
Baseline characteristics
| All patients (n = 41) | Acupressure (n = 20) | Control (n = 21) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mean age (SD), y | 38.5 (10.0) | 38.6 (10.6) | 38.4 (9.7) |
| Female, n (%) | 21.0 (51.2) | 9.0 (45.0) | 12.0 (57.1) |
| Mean BMI (SD), kg/m2 | 23.6 (4.2) | 24.1 (4.7) | 23.2 (3.7) |
| Mean duration of SAR (SD), y | 21.2 (9.6) | 22.8 (10.0) | 19.7 (9.2) |
| Mean time since first diagnosis (SD), y | 16.6 (9.6) | 16.6 (9.6) | 16.6 (9.9) |
| Allergy | |||
| To birch and grass only, n (%) | 12 (29.3) | 9 (45.0) | 3 (14.3) |
| To birch, grass and others, n (%) | 29 (70.7) | 11 (55.0) | 18 (85.7) |
| Confirmation of allergy | |||
| Prick test, n (%) | 39 (95.1) | 19 (95.0) | 20 (95.2) |
| IgE/RAST test, n (%) | 4 (9.8) | 1 (5.0) | 3 (14.3) |
| Therapy | |||
| Prior desensitisation, n (%) | 23 (56.1) | 14 (70.0) | 9 (42.9) |
| CAM use ever before, n (%) | 19 (46.3) | 11 (55.0) | 8 (30.1) |
| Prior acupuncture treatment, n (%) | 20 (48.8) | 10 (50.0) | 10 (47.6) |
| For SAR, n (%) | 7 (17.0) | 2 (10.0) | 5 (23.8) |
| For other diagnosis, n (%) | 13 (31.7) | 8 (40.0) | 5 (23.8) |
| Prior acupressure treatment, n (%) | 3 (7.3) | 2 (10.0) | 1 (4.8) |
| For SAR, n (%) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) |
| For other diagnosis, n (%) | 3 (7.3) | 2 (10.0) | 1 (4.8) |
| Outcome parameters | |||
| Mean RQLQ overall score (SD)a | 2.4 (0.9) | 2.5 (0.8) | 2.3 (1.0) |
| Mean VAS score (SD), mma | 51.1 (12.2) | 50.5 (11.3) | 51.6 (13.3) |
| Symptom severity score | |||
| Mean TNSS/nasal score (SD)a | 7.1 (2.1) | 7.1 (2.1) | 7.1 (2.2) |
| Mean TNNSS/non-nasal score (SD)a | 3.7 (2.3) | 4.1 (2.8) | 3.3 (1.7) |
| Mean SF-36 score | |||
| Physical health, mean (SD)b | 49.3 (6.3) | 48.7 (5.8) | 49 (6.8) |
| Mental health, mean (SD)b | 47.9 (8.1) | 47.0 (7.7) | 48.8 (8.7) |
| Mean T-HKF score | |||
| Autonomic functioning, total, mean (SD) | 41.8 (3.9) | 40.5 (4.1) | 43 (3.3) |
| Acupressure considered effective, n (%) | 35 (75.0) | 17 (85.0) | 18 (85.7) |
| Expectation of significant recovery, n (%) | 19 (46.3) | 10 (50.0) | 9 (42.9) |
| Years of recruitment, n (%) | |||
| 2018, n (%) | 14 (34.1) | 4 (20.0) | 10 (47.6) |
| 2019, n (%) | 27 (65.9) | 16 (80.0) | 11 (55.0) |
BMI body mass index, CAM complementary and alternative medicine, RQLQ Rhinitis Quality of Life Questionnaire, SAR seasonal allergic rhinitis, SF-36 Short form-36 Health Survey, VAS visual analog scale for overall SAR symptoms, TNSS total nasal symptom severity, TNNSS total non-nasal symptom severity, y years
aLower value indicates better status
bHigher value indicates better status