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Table 1 Participant characteristics

From: Hair cortisol and self-perceived stress in adolescents with multi-system functional somatic disorders

 

AHEAD

CCC2000

(total sample)

CCC2000 subgroupa

(high physical symptom load)

(n = 91)

(n = 1,450)

(n = 147)

Sex (female: n (%))

82 (90.1)

827 (57.0)

120 (81.6)

Age (years: median (IQR))

17.9 (16.6–19.4)

16.6 (16.4–16.8)

16.6 (16.4–16.8)

BMI (mean (SD))

22.3 (3.6)

21.8 (3.6)

22.7 (3.9)

Psychiatric diagnoses (n (%))b

 1.Neurodevelopmental

3 (3.3)

91 (6.3)

20 (13.6)

 2.Emotional

40 (44.0)

84 (5.8)

29 (19.7)

 3.Other

n < 3

44 (3.0)

11 (7.5)

 Any

40 (44.0)

136 (9.4)

34 (23.1)

BDS checklist (score 0–100)c

 Mean (SD)

44.4 (15.9)

16.5 (12.4)

45.9 (9.7)

 Median (IQR)

43.0 (32.0–56.0)

13.0 (8.0–22.0)

42.5 (38.0–52.0)

Primary symptom clusterd (n (%))

 1.General symptom cluster

52 (57.1)

-

-

 2.Musculoskeletal symptom cluster

17 (18.7)

-

-

 3.Gastrointestinal symptom cluster

19 (20.9)

-

-

 4.Cardiopulmonary/autonomic symptom cluster

3 (3.3)

-

-

Parental cohabitation (living together: n (%))

56 (61.5)

1070 (73.8)e

109 (74.2)f

Father's highest level of education (n (%))

 1.Short (high school or below)

27 (29.7)

256 (17.7)

35 (23.8)

 2.Medium (vocational, bachelor or equivalent)

39 (42.9)

893 (61.6)

86 (58.5)

 3.Higher (master or equivalent)

16 (17.6)

252 (17.4)

16 (10.9)

 Missing

9 (9.9)

49 (3.4)

10 (6.8)

Mother's highest level of education (n (%))

 1.Short (high school or below)

26 (28.6)

245 (16.9)

34 (23.1)g

 2.Medium (vocational, bachelor or equivalent)

52 (57.1)

963 (66.4)

97 (66.0)

 3.Higher (master or equivalent)

8 (8.8)

233 (16.1)

16 (10.9)

 Missing

5 (5.5)

9 (0.6)

(See g)

  1. AHEAD Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Health in Adolescents, BDS bodily distress syndrome, BMI Body Mass Index, CCC2000 Copenhagen Child Cohort 2000, IQR interquartile range, n number in specific population, SD standard deviation
  2. aThe CCC2000 subgroup consists of the CCC2000 participants reporting within the 10% highest scores on the BDS checklist
  3. bIn both samples, psychiatric disorders were categorized into three groups: neurodevelopmental (hyperactivity and inattention disorders, conduct disorders, autism spectrum disorders and intellectual disability), emotional (depressive disorders and anxiety disorders), other (substance abuse-related disorders, psychotic disorders, eating disorders and personality disorders) [48]. Selected psychiatric disorders, including severe neurodevelopmental disorders, psychotic disorders and substance abuse, were part of the AHEAD exclusion criteria [33]
  4. cThe time frame for symptom reporting was 4 weeks in AHEAD, and one year in CCC2000
  5. dThe patients' primary symptom presentations were categorized according to the four BDS symptom clusters
  6. eInformation on parental cohabitation was missing in 18 (1.25%) of the CCC2000 participants. Among these, 14 had moved out of their parents' home
  7. fInformation on parental cohabitation was missing in three (2.04%) of the adolescents in the CCC2000 subgroup. All had moved out of their parents' home
  8. gDue to few (n ≤ 3) observations in the 'Missing' group, these were included in the group of mothers with 'Short' educations
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BMC Psychiatry

ISSN: 1471-244X

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