Table 2.
Rating of overall quality using items from the STRICTA guideline (n = 26)
| Item | Criteria | Description | Number of positive trialsa | Percentage | Cohen’s к coefficient | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Acupuncture rationale | (1a) Style of acupuncture (e.g., traditional Chinese medicine, Japanese, Korean, Western medical, five element, ear acupuncture, etc.) | 26 | 100 | 1.00 | 1.00 |
| (1b) Reasoning for treatment provided, based on historical context, literature sources and/or consensus methods, with references where appropriate | 22 | 85 | 0.84 | 0.52 to 1.15 | ||
| (1c) Extent to which treatment was varied | 1 | 4 | 1.00 | 1.00 | ||
| 2 | Details of needling | (2a) Number of needle insertions per subject per session (mean and range where relevant) | 2 | 8 | 1.00 | 1.00 |
| (2b) Names (or location if no standard name) of points used (uni-/bilateral) | 26 | 100 | 1.00 | 1.00 | ||
| (2c) Depth of insertion, based on a specified unit of measurement or on a particular tissue level | 17 | 65 | 0.72 | 0.43 to 1.02 | ||
| (2d) Responses sought (e.g., de qi or muscle twitch response) | 20 | 77 | 0.88 | 0.66 to 1.10 | ||
| (2e) Needle stimulation (e.g., manual or electrical) | 13 | 50 | 0.52 | 0.19 to 0.86 | ||
| (2f) Needle retention time | 21 | 81 | 0.87 | 0.61 to 1.12 | ||
| (2 g) Needle type (diameter, length and manufacturer or material) | 22 | 85 | 0.84 | 0.52 to 1.15 | ||
| 3 | Treatment regimen | (3a) Number of treatment sessions | 23 | 88 | 0.78 | 0.36 to 1.20 |
| (3b) Frequency and duration of treatment sessions | 25 | 96 | 1.00 | 1.00 | ||
| Other components of treatment | (4a) Details of other interventions administered to the acupuncture group (e.g., moxibustion, cupping, herbs, exercises, lifestyle advice) | 15 | 58 | 0.67 | 0.37 to 0.97 | |
| (4b) Setting and context of treatment, including instructions to practitioners, and information and explanations to patients | 1 | 4 | 0.65 | -0.03 to 1.32 | ||
| 5 | Practitioner background | (5) Description of participating acupuncturists (qualification or professional affiliation, years in acupuncture practice, other relevant experience) | 22 | 77 | 0.74 | 0.43 to 1.08 |
| 6 | Control or comparator interventions | (6a) Rationale for the control or comparator in the context of the research question, with sources that justify the choice(s) | 9 | 35 | 0.76 | 0.51 to 1.02 |
| (6b) Precise description of the control or comparator. If sham acupuncture or any other type of acupuncture-like control is used, provide details as for items 1–3 above | 26 | 100 | 1.00 | 1.00 |
STRICTA Standards for Reporting Interventions in Controlled Trials of Acupuncture. aPositive trials, the information for each item was stated so 1 point was given