Table 1.
Demographic and clinical of the total sample (n = 146) and by sex (67 males; 79 females).
| Variables | Total Sample | Males | Females | Sex Differences |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Demographic Features | ||||
| Age (years) * | 57.5 ± 11.8 | 60.1 ± 10.4 | 55.3 ± 12.4 | 4.8 (1.0; 8.6) p = 0.013 |
| Height (m) * | 1.67 ± 0.09 | 1.73 ± 0.09 | 1.61 ± 0.06 | 0.11 (0.08; 0.13) p < 0.001 |
| Weight (kg) * | 81.8 ± 17.1 | 86.5 ± 15.6 | 77.7 ± 17.3 | 8.8 (3.4; 14.2) p = 0.002 |
| Body Mass Index (kg/m2) | 29.2 ± 5.2 | 28.8 ± 4.5 | 29.6 ± 5.7 | 0.8 (−0.9; 2.5) p = 0.354 |
| Sensory-Related Variables | ||||
| Pain intensity (NPRS, 0–10) * | 5.6 ± 1.7 | 5.2 ± 1.9 | 5.9 ± 1.5 | 0.7 (0.1; 1.2) p = 0.017 |
| Post-COVID Symptoms (months) | 18.8 ± 1.8 | 18.7 ± 2.0 | 18.9 ± 1.7 | 0.2 (−0.4; 0.8) p = 0.484 |
| S-LANSS (0–24) | 7.4 ± 8.4 | 7.5 ± 10.5 | 7.2 ± 6.2 | 0.3 (−2.5; 3.1) p = 0.823 |
| Central Sensitization Inventory (0–100) * | 33.9 ± 17.25 | 25.9 ± 14.3 | 40.9 ± 16.5 | 15.0 (9.9; 20.1) p < 0.001 |
| Psychological Variables | ||||
| HADS-A (0–21) * | 5.3 ± 4.2 | 4.4 ± 4.0 | 6.0 ± 4.2 | 01.6 (0.2; 2.9) p = 0.022 |
| HADS-D (0–21) | 5.1 ± 4.3 | 4.4 ± 4.2 | 5.5 ± 4.3 | 1.1 (−0.3; 2.6) p = 0.111 |
| Pittsburgh Sleeping Quality Index (0–21) * | 8.1 ± 4.3 | 6.9 ± 4.4 | 9.0 ± 4.0 | 2.2 (0.8; 3.5) p = 0.002 |
| Cognitive Behavior Variables | ||||
| Pain Catastrophizing Scale (0–52) | 12.15 ± 11.95 | 10.3 ± 11.3 | 13.8 ± 12.4 | 3.5 (−0.4; 7.5) p = 0.080 |
| Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia (0–44) * | 24.1 ± 8.55 | 22.6 ± 8.7 | 25.5 ± 8.3 | 2.9 (0.1; 5.7) p = 0.045 |
NPRS: Numerical Pain Rate Scale; HADS: Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (A: Anxiety; D: Depression); S-LANSS: self-reported version of the Leeds Assessment of Neuropathic Symptoms and Signs. * Statistically significant differences between males and females (Student t-test, p < 0.05).