Table 9 Quality assessment results of quantitative studies

Question/objective sufficiently described?

2

2

2

1

2

2

2

Study design evident and appropriate?

2

2

2

1

2

2

2

Method of subject/comparison group selection or source of information/input variables described and appropriate?

1

2

1

1

2

1

2

Subject (and comparison group, if applicable) characteristics sufficiently described?

2

2

2

1

2

2

1

If interventional and random allocation was possible, was it described?

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

If interventional and blinding of investigators was possible, was it reported?

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

If interventional and blinding of subjects was possible, was it reported?

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

Outcome and (if applicable) exposure measure (s) well defined and robust to measurement/misclassification bias? Means of assessment reported?

0

2

1

0

2

2

2

Sample size appropriate?

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

Analytic methods described/justified and appropriate?

1

1

2

0

0

1

2

Some estimate of variance is reported for the main results?

1

0

2

0

1

1

N/A

Controlled for confounding?

2

1

2

0

1

1

N/A

Results reported in sufficient detail?

2

2

2

1

2

2

2

Conclusions supported by the results?

1

2

2

2

2

2

2

Total score/possible maximum score

16/22

19/22

20/22

9/22

18/22

18/22

17/18