Ziwu-Liuzhu-guided combined external therapy promotes wound healing in postoperative perianal fistulizing Crohn’s disease

Table 3 Changes in Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 scale scores and anxiety severity at baseline and week 4 among the three treatment groups, mean ± SD/n (%)

Group	Sitz bath (n = 72)	Sitz bath plus acupoint application group (n = 69)	Ziwu-Liuzhu time-specific external treatment (n = 76)
Baseline GAD-7	9.2 ± 2.6	9.0 ± 2.4	9.1 ± 2.5
Week 4 GAD-7	7.9 ± 2.4	5.8 ± 2.0	4.1 ± 1.7
Δ GAD-7	1.3 ± 1.6	3.2 ± 1.7	5.0 ± 1.9
Δ GAD-7 95%CI	0.9-1.7	2.8-3.6	4.6-5.4
Effect size (Cohen d)	0.5	1.36	2.22
Within-group t value	6.18	15.37	21.48
Within-group P value	< 0.001	< 0.001	< 0.001
No anxiety 0-4	13 (18.1)	22 (31.9)	40 (52.6)
Mild 5-9	38 (52.8)	34 (49.3)	29 (38.2)
Moderate 10-14	17 (23.6)	11 (15.9)	6 (7.9)
Severe ≥ 15	4 (5.5)	2 (2.9)	1 (1.3)

GAD-7: Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 scale; CI: Confidence interval.