Statistical analysis
Data were tested for normal distribution by Shapiro-Wilk test and are expressed as mean and standard deviation (SD), mean with 95% confidence interval or median with interquartile range 25-75 (IQR) or percentages, as appropriate. Data analysis was performed for parametric variables with independent sample testing. Kruskar-Wallis non-parametric ANOVA was used for non-parametric continuous variables. Categorical variables were analyzed with Chi2 or Fisher’s exact test, as appropriate. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS statistics software, version 27 (IBM). A p value <0.05 was considered statistically significant.