Table 1.
Baseline characteristics of study participants.
| Variables | Overall (n = 140) | Yoga (n = 70) | Control (n = 70) | P-value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age (yr) | 38.75 (7.50) | 37.64 (8.31) | 39.86 (6.47) | 0.081 |
| Height (m) | 1.73 (0.05) | 1.74 (0.05) | 1.73 (0.05) | 0.481 |
| Weight (Kg) | 67.55 (5.07) | 68.36 (5.51) | 66.74 (4.47) | 0.060 |
| BMI (Kg/m2) | 22.44 (1.37) | 22.63 (1.45) | 22.25 (1.27) | 0.100 |
| Education, (years) | 3.54 (2.77) | 3.93 (3.35) | 3.16 (1.99) | 0.100 |
| Pesticide exposure in years (yr) | 5.71 (3.04) | 6.28(3.93) | 5.15 (3.04) | 0.061 |
| Serum cholinesterase (KU/ml) | 5.37 (0.88) | 5.30 (0.94) | 5.44 (0.82) | 0.355 |
| Cumulative pesticide exposure index (CEI) | 8125.13 (6022.36) |
8670.10 (5782.09) |
7587.9 (6244.98) |
0.291 |
| Adverse respiratory symptoms, n (%) | ||||
| Wheezing | 22 (15.7) | 14 (20.0) | 8 (11.4) | 0.164 |
| Dry cough | 12(8.6) | 9 (12.9) | 3 (4.3) | 0.128 |
| Productive cough | 106 (75.7) | 54 (77.1) | 52 (74.3) | 0.693 |
| Dyspnoea | 98 (70) | 57 (81.4) | 41(58.6) | 0.001* |
| Airflow obstruction | 79 (56.29) | 44 (62.85) | 35 (49.23) | 0.078 |
| Lung function characteristics | ||||
| FEV1 (L), mean (SD) | 2.06 (0.70) | 2.04 (0.76) | 2.08 (0.64) | 0.691 |
| FEV1 GLI PP | 54.91 (18.80) | 55.43 (17.11) | 54.34 (20.58) | 0.738 |
| FVC (L), mean (SD) | 2.92 (0.82) | 2.79 (0.87) | 3.04 (0.74) | 0.065 |
| FVC GLI PP | 64.27 (18.28) | 66.47 (16.73) | 61.90 (19.68) | 0.147 |
| FEV1/FVC GLI PP | 85.46 (15.21) | 83.39 (15.23) | 87.69 (15.00) | 0.167 |
| PEFR Pred (%) | 43.76 (19.02) | 44.03 (21.17) | 43.49 (16.77) | 0.867 |
| FEF25-75 Pred (%) | 49.71 (23.82) | 45.44 (19.62) | 53.99 (26.85) | 0.03 |
| Z-Scores | ||||
| FEV1 (L) z-score | −3.39 (1.36) | −3.36 (1.21) | −3.41 (1.50) | 0.846 |
| FVC (L) z-score | −3.07 (1.60) | −2.88 (1.46) | −3.27 (1.73) | 0.158 |
| FEV1/FVC z-score | −1.73 (1.76) | −1.98 (1.66) | −1.46 (1.84) | 0.090 |
| FEF25–75% z-score | 17.23 (5.20) | 16.83 (5.25) | 17.66 (5.17) | 0.355 |
| Cognitive function | ||||
| MoCA score | 22.31(1.95) | 22.11(2.10) | 22.51 (1.77) | 0.225 |
| DSST score (s) | 38.34 (8.38) | 35.63 (7.60) | 41.04 (8.30) | <0.001* |
| TMT-A (s) | 43.92 (18.81.216) | 34.53 (16.44) | 53.31(16.34) | <0.001* |
| TMT-B (s) | 104.72 (42.61) | 92.56 (37.20) | 116.89 (44.43) | <0.001* |
| Secondary variables | ||||
| PSS | 22.57 (5.95) | 22.80 (5.89) | 22.34 (6.04) | 0.651 |
| WHOQOL-Bref | 47.61 (11.11) | 43.97 (11.02) | 51.24 (10.03) | <0.001* |
| Oxidative stress indices | ||||
| MDA, nmol/l | 2.57 (7.66) | 2.481(7.36) | 2.66 (7.70) | 0.153 |
| GSH, mg/ml | 2.51 (0.73) | 2.61 (0.62) | 2.46 (0.80) | 0.083 |
| SOD (units/min/mg protein) | 0.23 (0.13) | 0.24 (0.13) | 0.22 (0.13) | 0.410 |
Continuous variables are represented as means (SD), and categorical variables are represented as number (%); s stands for seconds, t = independent samples t-test statistic; and χ2 = Chi-Square test statistic. Cumulative pesticide exposure index CEI; Airflow obstruction was defined as FEV1/FVC less than the lower limit of normal as per the recommendations of The American Thoracic Society (ATS)/European Respiratory Society (ERS). defined as FVC, forced vital capacity; FEV1: forced expiratory volume in 1 s; FEF25-75: forced expiratory flow; GLI PP, percent predicted values of FEV1, FVC and FEV1/FVC derived using Global Lung Function Initiative (GLI) equations; z-scores are standard deviation scores of spirometric variables adjusted for sex, age, and height using the Global Lung Function Initiative (GLI)-2012 equations; MOCA, Montreal Cognitive Assessment; DSST, Digit symbol substitution test; TMT-A, Trail making test A; TMT-B, Trail making test B; PSS, Perceived stress score; World Health Organization Quality of Life – BREF (WHOQOL-Bref); MDA, Malondialdehyde; GSH, Glutathione; Superoxide dismutase, SOD.