Table 1. Quality assessment tool used to evaluate individual publications that met inclusion criteria for reporting STH risk in farmers handling human excreta (modified from [12,13]).
| Study Component | Reviewer’s Comments | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Selection: (≤ 6 stars) | ||
| Representativeness of the sample: | ||
| a) Truly representative of the average ‘__’ in the target population (all subjects or random sampling).** | ||
| b) Somewhat representative of the average ‘__’ in the target population (non-random sampling).* | ||
| c) Selected group of users (e.g. farmers, nurses). | ||
| d) No description of the sampling strategy. | ||
| Sample size: | ||
| a) Justified and satisfactory.* | ||
| b) Not justified. | ||
| Non-respondents: | ||
| a) The response rate is reported and satisfactory.* | ||
| b) The response rate is not reported, or unsatisfactory. | ||
| Assessment of the exposure (risk factor): | ||
| a) Validated measurement tool. ** | ||
| b) Non-validated measurement tool, but the tool is available or described.* | ||
| c) No description of the measurement tool. | ||
| Comparability: (≤ 2 stars) | ||
| The subjects in different outcome groups are comparable, based on the study design or analysis. Confounding factors are controlled. | ||
| a) The study justifies inclusion of variables (e.g. stepwise regression), controls for confounders or effect modifiers, and has comparable outcome groups.** | ||
| b) The study satisfied 2 of 3 above listed criteria.* | ||
| c) The study does not provide sufficient detail to assess comparability of outcome groups. | ||
| Outcome: (≤ 5 stars) | ||
| Sample collection: | ||
| a) >1 stool samples collected per respondent within one week period.* | ||
| b) One sample collected per respondent. | ||
| c) No description. | ||
| Diagnostic test: | ||
| a) >1 validated test used or 2+ blinded technicians used the same validated test.** | ||
| b) One validated test used by a trained technician.* | ||
| c) Diagnostic test not described, not validated, or known to misrepresent true infection prevalence. | ||
| Statistical test: | ||
| a) The statistical test used to analyze the data is clearly described and appropriate, and the measurement of association is reported with estimates of error (confidence interval and p-value). ** | ||
| b) The statistical test used to analyze the data is clearly described and appropriate, and the measurement of association is reported with a confidence interval or p-value.* | ||
| c) The statistical test is not appropriate, not described, or incomplete. | ||
| Total Score (≤ 13 stars): | ||
*—indicates 1 point
**—indicates 2 points