Statistical analysis
Normality of data was checked by the measures of central tendency, measures of dispersion and P-P and Q-Q plots. All variables are reported as mean ± SD. Baseline characteristics of quantitative variables were compared between the two groups by independent sample t-test. The difference between the two groups regarding qualitative variables were assessed by Chi-square test or its alternative, Fisher’s exact test. Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) was performed to eliminate the effect of confounders. Changes from the baseline to post-intervention within each group were assessed through a paired t-test. A 