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. 2022 Jul 28;12(8):e062446. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-062446

Table 1.

Characteristics of included patients using systemic glucocorticoids (n=222), inhaled glucocorticoids (n=557) and controls

Patients using systemic GC (n=222) Patients using inhaled GC (n=557) Controls
(n=24 106)
P value (ANOVA) Systemic GC vs controls* Inhaled GC vs controls*
Mean difference (95% CI) P value Mean difference (95% CI) P value
Sex: male, n (%)† 111 (50.0) 253 (45.4) 12 154 (50.4) 0.066
Age at time of scanning in years, mean (SD)† 66.1 (7.2) 63.3 (7.5) 63.5 (7.5) 2.4e-6 2.6 (1.4 to 3.7) <0.0001 −0.2 (−0.9 to 0.5) 0.81
Education level, n (%) 0.66
 College/university degree
 A levels or equivalent
 O levels/GCSE or equivalent
 CSEs or equivalent
 NVQ, HND, HNC or equivalent
 Other professional qualifications
 None of the above
 Missing
108 (48.6)
26 (11.7)
38 (17.1)
9 (4.1)
6 (2.7)
13 (5.9)
18 (8.1)
4 (1.8)
287 (51.5)
66 (11.8)
96 (17.2)
17 (3.1)
35 (6.3)
29 (5.2)
25 (4.5)
2 (0.4)
12 058 (50.0)
2930 (12.2)
4155 (17.2)
879 (3.6)
1396 (5.8)
1150 (4.8)
1311 (5.4)
227 (0.9)
BMI in kg/m2, mean (SD) 26.2 (3.9) 26.7 (4.3) 26.1 (4.1) 1.0e-3 0.0 (−0.6 to 0.7) 0.98 0.6 (0.2 to 1.0) 1.3e-3
 n (%) missing 7 (3.2) 20 (3.6) 1325 (5.5)
Body fat percentage, mean (SD) 30.9 (7.9) 32.1 (8.3) 30.2 (7.9) 3.5e-8 0.7 (−0.5 to 1.9) 0.36 1.9 (1.1 to 2.7) <1.0e-4
 n (%) missing 7 (3.2) 20 (3.6) 1331 (5.5)
Smoking status, n (%) 0.44
 Current
 Previous
 Never
 Missing
6 (2.7)
76 (34.2)
137 (61.7)
3 (1.4)
11 (2.0)
200 (35.9)
341 (61.2)
5 (0.9)
647 (2.7)
7858 (32.6)
15 380 (63.8)
221 (0.9)

*Calculated using post hoc Dunnett’s test, only for those variables with a statistical difference according to the ANOVA.

†There were no missing values for the variables sex and age.

ANOVA, analysis of variance; BMI, body mass index; CSE, Certificate of Secondary Education; GC, glucocorticoids; GCSE, General Certificate of Secondary Education; HNC, Higher National Certificate; HND, Higher National Diploma; n, number; NVQ, National Vocational Qualification.