2.10. Statistical Analysis
Continuous variables were expressed as mean ± standard deviation or median with minimum and maximum ranges. Categorical variables such as frequencies and percentages were also reported. Normality distribution was evaluated by Shapiro–France. For the graphic analysis of the distribution of the variables, histograms and/or stems of leaves graphics were employed. To test the significance of the results, we used nonparametric (Mann–Whitney) or Student’s t tests for independent measurements. Paired t with Friedman, Wilcoxon signed rank test or Kruskal–Wallis t test were used according to the number of comparisons in groups of two or multiples and according to Gaussian distribution. In some variables, standardization was made and in multiple comparisons, adjustment was made by Bonferroni correction. For the paired analysis (before-after), we used the Friedman or Wilcoxon tests with signed rank test according to the distribution of the data. For the comparison of proportions for two groups, Pearson’s Chi-square χ