Methodological quality scores and ratings
| Study | Item scoring | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patient Selection | Blinding | Interventions | Outcomes | Statistics | Scores/ Rating | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | ||
| Albright et al28 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | NA | NA | 0 | NA | NA | 0 | 1 | 0 | NA | NA | NA | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | NA | 0.56/high |
| Gaston et al32 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | NA | NA | 1 | NA | NA | 0 | 1 | 0 | NA | NA | NA | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | NA | 0.44/low |
| Keyserling et al21 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | NA | NA | 1 | NA | NA | 0 | 1 | 0 | NA | NA | NA | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | NA | 0.78/high |
| Lombard et al29 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | NA | NA | 1 | NA | NA | 1 | 1 | 0 | NA | NA | NA | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | NA | 0.62/high |
| Napolitano et al30 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | NA | NA | 1 | NA | NA | 0 | 1 | 1 | NA | NA | NA | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | NA | 0.59/high |
| Pazoki et al35 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | NA | NA | 0 | NA | NA | 0 | 0 | 1 | NA | NA | NA | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | NA | 0.4/low |
| Ransdell et al33 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | NA | NA | 0 | NA | NA | 0 | 1 | 0 | NA | NA | NA | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | NA | 0.5/low |
| Sharpe et al34 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | NA | NA | 0 | NA | NA | 0 | 1 | 1 | NA | NA | NA | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | NA | 0.47/low |
| Yancey et al31 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | NA | NA | 1 | NA | NA | 0 | 1 | 1 | NA | NA | NA | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | NA | 0.72/high |
1, eligibility criteria; 2, described as randomised; 3, randomisation performed; 4, randomisation described as appropriate; 5, randomisation concealed; 6, baseline comparability; 7, described as double blind; 8, blinding described as appropriate; 9, blinding of investigator/assessor;10, blinding of subject/patient; 11, blinding of therapist; 12, blinding of the outcome (results); 13, treatment protocol adequately described for the treatment and control groups; 14, control and placebo adequate; 15, cointerventions avoided or comparable; 16, cointerventions reported for each group separately; 17, control for cointerventions in design; 18, testing of subject adherence; 19, adherence acceptable in all groups; 20, description of withdrawals and dropouts; 21, withdrawals/dropouts rate described and acceptable; 22, reasons for dropouts; 23, adverse effects described; 24, follow-up details reported; 25, follow-up period adequate; 26, short follow-up performed; 27, timing of outcomes comparable in all groups; 28, description of outcome measures; 29, relevant outcomes included; 30, validity reported for main outcome measure; 31, reliability reported for main outcome measure; 32, responsiveness reported for main outcome measure; 33, use of quantitative outcome measures; 34, descriptive measures reported for the main outcome; 35, appropriate statistical analysis included; 36, sample size calculated a priori; 37, adequate sample size; 38, sample size described for each group; 3, intention-to-treat analysis included; NA, not applicable.