Table 4.
Characteristics of newly diagnosed female participants with long-COVID with RLS compared with those without RLS.
| Participants with Long-COVID with New RLS | Participants with Long-COVID without RLS | Test Statistic | P | Effect Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| n (%) | 13 (11.3%) | 102 (88.7%) | |||
| Age, mean (SD), y | 46.1 (9.7) | 47.1 (12.5) | t(17.5) = −0.36 | .73 | Cohen’s d = 0.09 |
| Hospitalized, n (%) | 3 (23.1%) | 16 (15.7%) | χ2 (1, n = 115) = 0.08 | .78 | OR = 1.6 (95% CI 0.4–6.5) |
| Laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 positive, n (%) | 11 (84.6%) | 81 (79.4%) | χ2 (1, n = 115) = 0.00 | .94 | OR = 1.4 (95% CI 0.3–6.9) |
| Sleep apnea device ownership, n (%) | 2 (15.4%) | 6 (5.9%) | χ2 (1, n = 115) = 0.48 | .49 | OR = 2.9 (95% CI 0.5–16.2) |
| High STOP-BANG score, n (%) | 3 (23.1%) | 36 (35.3%) | χ2 (1, n = 115) = 0.32 | .57 | OR = 0.5 (95% CI 0.1– 2.1) |
| High sleep apnea risk, n (%)a | 4 (30.8%) | 37 (36.3%) | χ2 (1, n = 115) = 0.01 | .93 | OR = 0.8 (95% CI 0.2– 2.7) |
| Neuropathic pain severity, mean (SD) | 5.9 (3.0) | 4.4 (3.3) | t(16.0) = 1.6 | .12 | Cohen’s d = 0.47 |
| Fatigue, mean (SD) | 45.5 (9.6) | 34.2 (10.9) | t(16.2) = 0.45 | .66 | Cohen’s d = 1.1 |
| Quality of life, mean (SD) | 35.4 (20.2) | 40.6 (21.8) | t(15.8) = −0.87 | .40 | Cohen’s d = 0.25 |
| Antihistamine use, n (%) | 8 (61.5%) | 60 (58.8%) | χ2 (1, n = 115) = 0.00 | 1.0 | OR = 1.1 (95% CI 0.3–3.7) |
| Antidepressant use, n (%) | 3 (23.1%) | 18 (17.6%) | χ2 (1, n = 115) = 0.01 | .92 | OR = 1.4 (95% CI 0.3–5.6) |
| Vitamin D, n (%) | 9 (69.2%) | 76 (74.5%) | χ2 (1, n = 115) = 0.00 | .94 | OR = 0.8 (95% CI 0.2–2.7) |
| Benzodiazepine use, n (%) | 1 (7.7%) | 21 (20.6%) | χ2 (1, n = 115) = 0.55 | .46 | OR = 0.3 (95% CI 0.03–2.6) |
| Steroid use, n (%) | 3 (23.1%) | 27 (26.5%) | χ2 (1, n = 115) = 0.00 | 1.0 | OR = 0.83 (95% CI 0.2–3.2) |
a“High sleep apnea risk” denotes those who own a sleep apnea device and/or have a STOP-BANG score ≥ 3. CI = confidence interval, COVID-19 = coronavirus disease 2019, OR = odds ratio, RLS = restless legs syndrome. SD = standard deviation.