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Table 2 Participants characteristics

From: Acupuncture for chemotherapy-associated insomnia in breast cancer patients: an assessor-participant blinded, randomized, sham-controlled trial

Characteristic

Active acupuncture (n = 69)

Sham acupuncture (n = 69)

Total (n = 138)

P value*

Age, years

51.7 ± 9.6

52.7 ± 8.3

52.2 ± 9.0

0.540

Body mass index, kg/m2

22.8 ± 2.9

24.0 ± 16.9

23.4 ± 12.1

0.581

Marital status

   

0.586

 Married or living with partner

48 (69.6)

45 (65.2)

93 (67.4)

 

 Single, separated, divorced, or widowed

21 (30.4)

24 (34.8)

45 (32.6)

 

Educational attainment

   

0.959

 Primary or below

7 (10.1)

8 (11.6)

15 (10.9)

 

 Secondary

33 (47.8)

33 (47.8)

66 (47.8)

 

 Post-secondary or above

29 (42.0)

28 (40.6)

57 (41.3)

 

Household monthly income (HK$)

   

0.111

 < 20,000

36 (52.2)

39 (56.5)

75 (54.3)

 

 20,000–50,000

23 (33.3)

13 (18.8)

36 (26.1)

 

 > 50,000

10 (14.5)

15 (21.7)

25 (18.1)

 

 No answer

0 (0.0)

2 (2.9)

2 (1.4)

 

Occupation

   

0.384

 Professional and associate professional

22 (31.9)

20 (29.0)

42 (30.4)

 

 Skilled and semi-skilled worker

3 (4.3)

3 (4.3)

6 (4.3)

 

 Unskilled worker

19 (27.5)

12 (17.4)

31 (22.5)

 

 Retired/unemployed/housework

25 (36.2)

34 (49.3)

59 (42.8)

 

Menopausal status at entry

   

0.390

 Premenopausal

4 (5.8)

1 (1.4)

5 (3.6)

 

 Perimenopausal

13 (18.8)

13 (18.8)

26 (18.8)

 

 Postmenopausal

52 (75.4)

55 (79.7)

107 (77.5)

 

Breast cancer stage

   

0.479

 I

13 (18.8)

19 (27.5)

32 (23.2)

 

 II

29 (42.0)

26 (37.7)

55 (39.9)

 

 III

15 (21.7)

17 (24.6)

32 (23.2)

 

 IV

10 (14.5)

7 (10.1)

17 (12.3)

 

 No answer

2 (2.9)

0 (0.0)

2 (1.4)

 

Prior surgery

61 (88.4)

64 (92.8)

125 (90.6)

0.382

Prior radiotherapy

37 (53.6)

40 (58.0)

77 (55.8)

0.607

Prior hormonal therapy

34 (49.3)

38 (55.1)

72 (52.2)

0.495

Adjuvant Chemotherapy

51 (73.9)

57 (82.6)

108 (78.3)

0.417

Under or post-chemotherapy at entry

   

0.687

 Under

15 (21.7)

17 (24.6)

32 (23.2)

 

 Post

54 (78.3)

52 (75.4)

72 (76.8)

 

Chemotherapy regimens

   

0.583

 AC/TC

14 (20.3)

20 (29.0)

34 (24.6)

 

 TAC

6 (8.7)

10 (14.5)

16 (11.6)

 

 AC/EC + T/P

13 (18.8)

9 (13.0)

22 (15.9)

 

 FEC + T

8 (11.6)

5 (7.2)

13 (9.4)

 

 Carboplatin-containing

17 (24.6)

14 (20.3)

31 (22.5)

 

 Others

11 (15.9)

11 (15.9)

22 (15.9)

 

Insomnia mean duration, monthsa

9.0 (3.0, 13.5)

10.0 (5.5, 15.0)

9.0 (4.8, 14.0)

0.141

Sleep aids, prior 2 weeks

    

 Sleep medications

26 (37.7)

19 (27.5)

45 (32.6)

0.204

 Chinese herbal medicine

16 (23.2)

24 (34.8)

40 (29.0)

0.133

Prior acupuncture

50 (72.5)

46 (66.7)

96 (69.6)

0.459

ISI

17.4 ± 4.3

16.7 ± 4.5

17.1 ± 4.4

0.358

PSQI

13.6 ± 3.4

12.7 ± 3.3

13.1 ± 3.4

0.100

Actiwatch

    

 SOL, min

14.2 ± 14.5

14.2 ± 12.3

14.2 ± 13.4

0.976

 WASO, min

112.6 ± 40.2

112.5 ± 38.4

112.5 ± 39.2

0.991

 TST, min

359.1 ± 51.1

357.7 ± 51.3

358.4 ± 51.0

0.878

 SE, %

72.8 ± 7.9

72.9 ± 7.5

72.8 ± 7.7

0.938

Sleep diary

    

 SOL, min

51.5 ± 38.6

47.8 ± 35.7

49.6 ± 37.1

0.558

 WASO, min

58.0 ± 44.0

56.2 ± 47.1

57.1 ± 45.4

0.820

 TST, min

319.4 ± 85.2

331.1 ± 96.8

325.3 ± 91.1

0.453

 SE, %

64.8 ± 15.4

68.2 ± 17.9

66.5 ± 16.8

0.231

HADS

    

 Anxiety

9.2 ± 3.9

8.6 ± 3.2

8.9 ± 3.6

0.316

 Depression

8.4 ± 4.1

8.1 ± 3.8

8.3 ± 3.9

0.682

BFI

5.6 ± 2.1

5.6 ± 2.1

5.6 ± 2.1

0.939

BPI-SF

    

 Pain severity

3.4 ± 2.9

4.3 ± 2.4

3.9 ± 2.7

0.054

 Pain interference

3.3 ± 3.1

3.9 ± 2.7

3.6 ± 2.9

0.203

FACT-B

80.3 ± 21.3

82.5 ± 19.7

81.4 ± 20.4

0.536

AES

14.8 ± 3.4

14.8 ± 3.3

14.8 ± 3.3

0.980

  1. Data are presented as mean ± standard deviation, number (%), or median (interquartile range)
  2. AC/TC Adriamycin and cyclophosphamide, or taxotere and cyclophosphamide; AC/EC Adriamycin and cyclophosphamide, or epirubicin and cyclophosphamide; BFI Brief fatigue inventory; BPI-SF Brief pain inventory-short form; FEC + T Fluorouracil, epirubicin and cyclophosphamide, plus taxotere; ISI Insomnia severity index; PSQI Pittsburgh sleep quality index; SOL Sleep onset latency; TAC Taxotere, adriamycin, and cyclophosphamide; T/P Taxotere or paclitaxel; WASO Wake after sleep onset; TST Total sleep time; SE Sleep efficiency; HADS Hospital anxiety and depression scale; FACT-B Functional assessment of cancer therapy-breast cancer; AES Acupuncture expectancy scale
  3. aDuration of insomnia was reported by the participant and verified by assessors before enrollment
  4. *Comparison between acupuncture group and sham acupuncture group by \(\chi^{2}\) or Fisher’s exact test, unpaired t-test, or Mann–Whitney U test
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Breast Cancer Research

ISSN: 1465-542X

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