2.5. Statistical evaluation
The data obtained from the study were evaluated using the Statistical
Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) 21.0 program. Continuous variables
obtained by measurement were expressed as mean ± standard deviation, and
categorical variables were expressed as percentage and number. The
normality of distribution was analyzed with the Kolmogorov–Smirnov
test. Student’s t-test was used to compare means between two independent
groups with normal distribution, and the non-parametric Mann–Whitney U
test was used for groups that did not show normal distribution.
Chi-square and Fisher’s exact test were used to compare the categorical
data. In order to determine the direction and level of the relationship
between numerical variables, Pearson’s test was used for those with
normal distribution, and Spearman’s correlation test was used for those
that did not show normal distribution. In all analyses, p<0.05
was considered statistically significant.