TABLE 1.
Between-group comparisons of the demographic data at baseline, the 5th week, and the 9th week.
| Characteristic | Time 1 | Experiment (n = 17) |
Control (n = 18) |
Chi-square test | Time 2 | Experiment (n = 13) |
Control (n = 16) |
Chi-square test | Time 3 | Experiment (n = 11) |
Control (n = 11) |
Chi-square test | |||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||
| n | (%) | n | (%) | χ2 | P | n | (%) | n | (%) | χ2 | P | n | (%) | n | (%) | χ2 | P | ||||
| Educational level | Week 0 | 6.17 | 0.18 | 3.99 | 0.40 | Week 9 | 2.5 | 0.47 | |||||||||||||
| 1. Literate | 6 | (35.3) | 2 | (11.1) | 4 | (30.8) | 2 | (12.5) | 4 | (36.3) | 1 | (9.1) | |||||||||
| 2. Elementary school (≤6 years) | 6 | (35.3) | 6 | (33.3) | 4 | (30.8) | 5 | (31.3) | 3 | (27.3) | 5 | (45.4) | |||||||||
| 3. Junior high school (7–9 years) | 3 | (17.6) | 2 | (11.1) | 3 | (23.1) | 2 | (12.5) | 2 | (18.2) | 2 | (18.2) | |||||||||
| 4. 4. Senior high school or college (10–12 years) | 2 | (11.8) | 6 | (33.3) | 2 | (15.4) | 5 | (31.2) | 2 | (18.2) | 3 | (27.3) | |||||||||
| 5. University or higher (≥ 13 years) | 0 | (0.0) | 2 | (11.1) | 0 | (0.0) | 2 | (12.5) | 0 | (0.0) | 0 | (0.0) | |||||||||
| Sex | 4.11 | 0.04* | 4.90 | 0.02* | 3.47 | 0.06 | |||||||||||||||
| 1. Male | 1 | (5.9) | 6 | (33.3) | 0 | (0.0) | 5 | (31.3) | 0 | (0.0) | 3 | (27.3) | |||||||||
| 2. Female | 16 | (94.1) | 12 | (68.7) | 13 | (100.0) | 11 | (68.8) | 11 | (100.0) | 8 | (72.7) | |||||||||
| Marital status | 3.3 | 0.18 | 4 | 0.13 | 1.2 | 0.54 | |||||||||||||||
| 1. Unmarried | 2 | (11.8) | 0 | (0.0) | 2 | (15.4) | 0 | (0.0) | 1 | (9.1) | 0 | (0.0) | |||||||||
| 2. Married | 4 | (23.5) | 8 | (44.4) | 3 | (23.1) | 8 | (50.0) | 2 | (18.2) | 3 | (27.3) | |||||||||
| 3. Widowed | 11 | (64.7) | 10 | (55.6) | 8 | 61.5) | 8 | (50.0) | 8 | (72.7) | 8 | (72.7) | |||||||||
| Sleep pattern | 3.81 | 0.14 | 4.17 | 0.12 | 5.13 | 0.07 | |||||||||||||||
| 1. Advanced sleep-wake phase disorder | 0 | (0.0) | 0 | (0.0) | Week 5 | 0 | (0.0) | 0 | (0.0) | 0 | (0.0) | 0 | (0.0) | ||||||||
| 2. Delayed sleep-wake phase disorder | 6 | (35.2) | 2 | (11.1) | 5 | (38.5) | 2 | (12.5) | 5 | (45.4) | 1 | (9.1) | |||||||||
| 3. Sleep-wake rhythm | 8 | (47.1) | 14 | (77.8) | 5 | (38.5) | 12 | (75.0) | 3 | (27.3) | 8 | (72.7) | |||||||||
| 4. Irregular sleep-wake rhythm disorder | 3 | (17.7) | 2 | (11.1) | 3 | (23.0) | 2 | (12.5) | 3 | (27.3) | 2 | (18.2) | |||||||||
| Dementia type | 7.64 | 0.054 | 11 | (84.6) | 9 | (56.2) | 5.61 | 0.13 | 9 | (81.8) | 6 | (54.5) | 4.40 | 0.22 | |||||||
| 1. Alzheimer’s dementia | 15 | (88.2) | 10 | (55.6) | 0 | (0.0) | 2 | (12.5) | 0 | (0.0) | 1 | (9.1) | |||||||||
| 2. Parkinson’s dementia | 0 | (0.0) | 3 | (16.7) | 1 | (7.7) | 5 | (31.3) | 1 | (9.1) | 4 | (36.4) | |||||||||
| 3. Vascular dementia | 1 | (5.9) | 5 | (27.8) | 1 | (7.7) | 0 | (0.0) | 1 | (9.1) | 0 | (0.0) | |||||||||
| 4. Frontotemporal dementia | 1 | (5.9) | 0 | (0.0) | |||||||||||||||||
| Severity of dementia | 1.93 | 0.38 | 2 | (15.4) | 5 | (31.2) | 1.93 | 0.38 | 1.43 | 0.48 | |||||||||||
| 1. Mild | 3 | (17.7) | 7 | (38.9) | 7 | (53.8) | 7 | (43.8) | 1 | (9.1) | 3 | (27.3) | 1.89 | 0.38 | |||||||
| 2. Moderate | 9 | (52.9) | 7 | (38.9) | 4 | (30.8) | 4 | (25.0) | 8 | (72.7) | 5 | (45.4) | |||||||||
| 3. Severe | 5 | (29.4) | 4 | (22.2) | 2 | (18.2) | 3 | (27.3) | |||||||||||||
| Source | 0.25 | 0.61 | 0.16 | 0.68 | 0.21 | 0.64 | |||||||||||||||
| 1. Community | 11 | (64.7) | 13 | (72.2) | 8 | (61.5) | 11 | (68.7) | 8 | (72.7) | 7 | (63.6) | |||||||||
| 2. Nursing home | 6 | (35.3) | 5 | (27.8) | 5 | (38.5) | 5 | (31.3) | 3 | (27.3) | 4 | (36.4) | |||||||||
PS: *P < 0.05.
All indexes are presented as the number of cases (n) and percentage (%).
Thirty-five participants completed the baseline assessment, and 29 and 22 participants completed the 5th and 9th week assessments, respectively. The chi-square test was used to analyze the participants’ demographic characteristics.
No statistically significant differences were observed in the demographic characteristics (educational level, marital status, sleep pattern, dementia type, dementia severity, and source at baseline or in the 5th and 9th weeks) between the experimental and comparison groups.
This finding indicated that a homogeneous distribution of participants.
Conversely, a statistically significant difference in sex was observed, with male participants comprising 5.9 and 33% of the experimental group and comparison group, respectively (P < 0.05).