Table 2.
Study characteristics and quality issues for all included articles
|
Author country year of publication |
Sample size and response rate |
Method of data collection: |
Generalisability: |
Selection bias: |
Participants informed of the definition of BP and anatomical area: |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |
|
Questionnaire |
Random sampling of general population (RS) or whole population approached (WP) |
weak and confused individuals likely to have been excluded |
In writing |
| |
|
Interview |
|
Other types of possible selection bias |
With a drawing |
| |
|
Physical examination |
Response rate >70% (RRhigh) |
|
Personal communication |
| Comparison of responders and non-responders (COMP) or adjusted (ADJ) for non-responders | |||||
| Andrianakos[9] Greece 2003 |
8,740 |
Home interview |
RS |
No |
Personal communication |
| |
82% |
|
RRhigh |
|
|
| |
|
|
COMP |
|
|
| Freburger[10]* USA 2009 |
2,723 (2006) |
Telephone interview |
RS |
To some degree (telephone household interviews) |
Personal communication |
| |
57% |
|
- |
|
|
| |
|
|
ADJ |
|
|
| Goode[11]* USA 2010 |
2,809 |
Telephone interview |
RS |
To some degree (telephone household interviews) |
Personal communication |
| |
57% |
|
- |
|
|
| |
|
|
COMP |
|
|
| Guez[12] Sweden 2002 |
6,000 |
Telephone interview |
RS |
No |
Not described |
| |
72% |
|
RRhigh |
|
|
| |
|
|
COMP |
|
|
| Hartvigsen[13] Denmark 2004 |
4,486 |
Home interview |
WP |
To some degree (telephone household interviews) |
Personal communication |
| |
80.4% |
|
- |
|
|
| |
|
|
- |
|
|
| Keenan[14] UK 2006 |
16,222 |
Postal questionnaire |
RS |
No |
With a drawing |
| |
86% |
|
RRhigh |
|
|
| |
|
|
COMP |
|
|
| Parsons[15] UK 2007 |
2,504 |
Postal questionnaire |
RS |
Individuals excluded by GP if for example terminal illness, severe psychiatric disorder or severe dementia; or requested not to be involved in research |
With a drawing |
| |
60% |
|
- |
|
|
| |
|
|
COMP |
|
|
| Picavet[16] Netherlands 2003 |
3,664 |
Postal questionnaire |
RS |
No |
Not described |
| |
47% |
|
- |
|
|
| |
|
|
COMP |
|
|
| Santos-Eggimann[17] Switzerland 2000 |
3,227 |
Questionnaire |
RS |
No |
With a drawing |
| |
76% and 52% (two populations sampled) |
|
+/- RRhigh (two populations) |
|
|
| |
|
|
COMP |
|
|
| Strine[18] USA 2007 |
31,004 |
Household interview |
RS |
To some degree (household interviews) |
Not described |
| |
74% |
|
RRhigh |
|
|
| |
|
|
ADJ |
|
|
| Thomas[19] UK 2004 |
7,878 |
Postal questionnaire |
RS |
Individuals excluded by GP if for example severe psychiatric or terminal illness |
With a drawing |
| |
71% |
|
RRhigh |
|
|
| |
|
|
COMP |
|
|
| Webb[20] UK 2003 |
4,515 |
Postal questionnaire |
RS |
Unsuitable excluded by their GP |
Not described |
| |
79% |
|
RRhigh |
|
|
| - |
*Article reporting on more than one survey in which only the latest survey was included in our review.