Clinical Characteristics of the Non-celiac Gluten Sensitivity Group and the Control Group
| Variables | Patients without NCGS symptoms (n = 306) | Patients with NCGS symptoms (n = 80) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age (yr) | 50.07 ± 16.41 | 48.83 ± 14.42 | 0.539 |
| Sex | 0.099 | ||
| Male | 122 (39.9) | 25 (31.2) | |
| Female | 184 (60.1) | 55 (68.8) | |
| Location | 0.226 | ||
| Urban | 277 (90.5) | 77 (96.28) | |
| Rural | 24 (7.8) | 2 (2.5) | |
| Missing | 6 (1.6) | 1 (1.2) | |
| Education | 0.334 | ||
| Elementary school | 34 (11.1) | 4 (5.0) | |
| Middle school | 19 (6.2) | 7 (8.8) | |
| High school | 69 (22.5) | 18 (22.5) | |
| ≥ College | 183 (59.8) | 49 (61.2) | |
| Missing | 1 (0.3) | 2 (2.5) | |
| Employment | 0.569 | ||
| Employed/student | 206 (67.5) | 48 (60.0) | |
| Unemployed/retired | 20 (6.6) | 6 (7.5) | |
| Household professional | 78 (25.6) | 26 (32.5) | |
| Missing | 1 (0.3) | 0 (0.0) | |
| Household income | 0.115 | ||
| < 150 | 55 (18.0) | 22 (27.5) | |
| 150-300 | 69 (22.5) | 18 (22.5) | |
| 300-500 | 87 (28.4) | 23 (28.8) | |
| ≥ 500 | 79 (25.8) | 11 (13.8) | |
| Missing | 16 (5.2) | 6 (7.5) | |
| Marital status | 0.619 | ||
| Never married | 69 (22.5) | 23 (28.8) | |
| Married | 211 (69.0) | 51 (63.8) | |
| Separated/divorced/widowed | 25 (7.8) | 5 (6.2) | |
| Missing | 2 (0.7) | 1 (1.2) | |
| Alcohol | 0.068 | ||
| None/ex-drinker | 132 (43.1) | 44 (50.0) | |
| Current drinker | 174 (56.9) | 36 (45.0) | |
| Smoking | 0.434 | ||
| Non-smoker | 216 (70.6) | 62 (77.5) | |
| Ex-smoker | 55 (18.0) | 12 (15.0) | |
| Current smoker | 35 (11.4) | 6 (7.5) |
NCGS, non-celiac gluten sensitivity.
Data are presented as mean ± SD or n (%).