Table 2.
Mean of each clinical sign in patients based on different age groups
| Variable | Under 30 (N = 8) | 30-40 (N = 14) | 40-50 (N = 20) | 50-60 (N = 16) | Above 60 (N = 6) | P valuea |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Defecation times (per week) (mean ± SD) | 5.24 ± 2.20 | 6.67 ± 2.57 | 5.98 ± 1.12 | 5.11 ± 2.71 | 5.07 ± 1.39 | 0.018 |
| Hard stool (per week) (mean ± SD) | 4.78 ± 2.60 | 4.50 ± 1.68 | 4.13 ± 2.44 | 4.55 ± 2.91 | 4.25 ± 2.15 | 0.336 |
| Painful defecation (per week) (mean ± SD) | 2.58 ± 1.20 | 1.69 ± 0.91 | 2.14 ± 1.24 | 3.17 ± 1.72 | 3.29 ± 1.65 | 0.03 |
| Anal obstruction sensation (per week) (mean ± SD) | 6.19 ± 3.06 | 6.26 ± 2.66 | 6.96 ± 2.27 | 6.36 ± 3.18 | 6.64 ± 2.07 | 0.617 |
| Use of finger to defecate (per week) (mean ± SD) | 2.66 ± 1.12 | 2.37 ± 1.26 | 2.53 ± 1.07 | 2.66 ± 1.25 | 2.45 ± 1.78 | 0.244 |
| Straining while defecation (per week) (mean ± SD) | 4.22 ± 2.17 | 3.31 ± 2.45 | 3.49 ± 1.85 | 4.51 ± 2.07 | 4.39 ± 2.77 | 0.04 |
| Incomplete defecation (per week) (mean ± SD) | 6.33 ± 2.01 | 6.27 ± 2.44 | 6.67 ± 3.12 | 6.35 ± 2.14 | 6.68 ± 3.11 | 0.575 |
a
Paired samples t-test in comparison with previous time of the evaluation not significant (P > 0.05).