Table 5.
Multivariable estimates of the MDASI-HN total score from GEE modeling (n = 197).
| Variables | β | SE | 95% CI |
Wald χ2 | Significant | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lower bound | Upper bound | |||||
| Time point | ||||||
| Time #1 | Reference | – | – | – | – | – |
| Time #2 | 17.850 | 2.574 | 12.806 | 22.895 | 48.103 | <0.001 |
| Time #3 | 2.654 | 1.858 | −0.987 | 6.295 | 2.041 | 0.153 |
| Gender | ||||||
| Male | Reference | – | – | – | – | – |
| Female | 0.722 | 5.549 | −10.154 | 111.598 | 0.017 | 0.897 |
| Age (years) | ||||||
| < 40 | Reference | – | – | – | – | – |
| 40–60 | 0.567 | 4.137 | −7.541 | 8.675 | 0.019 | 0.891 |
| > 60 | −3.233 | 5.753 | −14.510 | 8.043 | 0.316 | 0.574 |
| Education level | ||||||
| Elementary school graduation | Reference | – | – | – | – | – |
| Middle school graduation | 1.629 | 3.105 | −4.457 | 7.716 | 0.275 | 0.600 |
| High school graduation | 4.748 | 3.634 | −2.374 | 11.871 | 1.707 | 0.191 |
| College graduation or above | −1.220 | 7.182 | −15.295 | 12.856 | 0.029 | 0.865 |
| Marital status | ||||||
| Without spouse | Reference | – | – | – | – | – |
| With spouse | 11.340 | 9.008 | −6.315 | 28.994 | 1.585 | 0.208 |
| Place of residence | ||||||
| Rural area | Reference | – | – | – | – | – |
| Town | −1.593 | 4.687 | −10.780 | 7.593 | 0.116 | 0.734 |
| Urban area | −1.564 | 3.666 | −8.749 | 5.621 | 0.182 | 0.670 |
| Job | ||||||
| Farmer | Reference | – | – | – | – | – |
| Worker | 5.288 | 3.538 | −1.647 | 12.223 | 2.234 | 0.135 |
| Staff | −2.206 | 6.269 | −14.493 | 10.080 | 0.124 | 0.725 |
| Retired | −4.749 | 4.903 | −14.359 | 4.861 | 0.938 | 0.333 |
| Self-employed | 11.344 | 5.375 | 0.810 | 21.878 | 4.455 | 0.035 |
| Income per month (yuan) | ||||||
| < 3000 | Reference | – | – | – | – | – |
| 3000–5000 | 1.534 | 2.815 | −3.983 | 7.051 | 0.297 | 0.586 |
| > 5000 | 2.607 | 3.649 | −4.545 | 9.759 | 0.510 | 0.475 |
| Medical insurance | ||||||
| None | Reference | – | – | – | – | – |
| New Cooperative Medical System | −12.156 | 8.558 | −28.929 | 4.618 | 2.018 | 0.155 |
| Basic Medical Insurance for Urban Employees | −7.293 | 9.470 | −25.853 | 11.267 | 0.593 | 0.441 |
| Basic Medical Insurance for Urban Residents | −10.565 | 8.675 | −27.567 | 6.437 | 1.483 | 0.223 |
| Smoking | ||||||
| No | Reference | – | – | – | – | – |
| Yes | −6.467 | 4.760 | −15.796 | 2.862 | 1.846 | 0.174 |
| Alcohol consumption | ||||||
| No | Reference | – | – | – | – | – |
| Yes | −1.779 | 4.272 | −10.151 | 6.593 | 1.173 | 0.677 |
| Betel nut chewing | ||||||
| No | Reference | – | – | – | – | – |
| Yes | 5.168 | 4.288 | −3.236 | 13.572 | 1.453 | 0.228 |
| Comorbidity | ||||||
| No | Reference | – | – | – | – | – |
| Yes | 12.125 | 3.669 | 4.935 | 19.315 | 10.924 | 0.001 |
| Diabetes mellitus | ||||||
| No | Reference | – | – | – | – | – |
| Yes | 6.081 | 4.971 | −3.663 | 15.825 | 1.496 | 0.221 |
| Cancer stage at diagnosis | ||||||
| Early stage (Phase 0 and I) | Reference | – | – | – | – | – |
| Moderate stage (Phase II) | 6.718 | 3.217 | 0.413 | 13.024 | 4.361 | 0.037 |
| Moderate or advanced stage (Phase III) | 7.680 | 3.529 | 0.764 | 14.597 | 4.737 | 0.030 |
| Advanced stage (Phase IV) | 13.871 | 3.338 | 7.328 | 20.415 | 17.266 | <0.001 |
| Tumor histology | ||||||
| Squamous carcinoma | Reference | – | – | – | – | – |
| Others | −3.471 | 3.455 | −10.242 | 3.300 | 1.010 | 0.315 |
| Adjuvant treatment | ||||||
| No | Reference | – | – | – | – | – |
| Yes | 6.790 | 3.259 | 0.402 | 13.178 | 4.340 | 0.037 |
| Tracheotomy | ||||||
| No | Reference | – | – | – | – | – |
| Yes | 1.443 | 3.201 | −4.831 | 7.716 | 0.203 | 0.652 |
| Smoking history (years) | 0.139 | 0.143 | −0.141 | 0.419 | 0.946 | 0.331 |
| Numbers of cigarettes smoked per day | 0.013 | 0.028 | −0.042 | 0.068 | 0.226 | 0.635 |
| Alcohol consumption history (years) | −0.215 | 0.159 | −0.527 | 0.097 | 1.821 | 0.177 |
| Amount of alcohol consumed per day (mL) | 0.020 | 0.013 | −0.006 | 0.045 | 2.350 | 0.125 |
| Betel nut chewing history (years) | −0.014 | 0.220 | −0.446 | 0.418 | 0.004 | 0.949 |
| Pieces of betel nuts chewed per day | −0.105 | 0.095 | −0.290 | 0.081 | 1.219 | 0.270 |
| BMI | −0.664 | 0.516 | −1.675 | 0.346 | 1.660 | 0.198 |
| NRS score | 3.679 | 1.039 | 1.642 | 5.716 | 12.529 | <0.001 |
BMI, body mass index; GEE, Generalized estimating equation; MDASI-HN, M.D. Anderson Symptom Inventory-Head and Neck Module-Chinese version; NRS, Nutritional Risk Screening 2002.