Table 4.
STRICTA assessment of the reporting characteristics of included studies (N=30; 24 studies from Chinese journals; 6 studies from English journals).
| Section/ topic | Item | Description | Positive studies | Positive Chinese journals | Positive English journals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N (%) | N (%) | N (%) | |||
| Acupuncture rationale | 1a | Style of acupuncture (e.g. Traditional Chinese Medicine, Japanese, Korean, Western medical, Five Element, ear acupuncture, etc) | 30 (100) | 24 (100%) | 6 (100%) |
| 1b | Reasoning for treatment provided, historical context, literature sources, and/or consensus methods, with references provided wherever necessary | 9 (30) | 5 (21) | 4 (67)* | |
| 1c | Extent to which treatment varied | 2 (7) | 0 (0) | 2 (33)* | |
| Details of needling | 2a | Number of needle insertions per subject per session (mean and range wherever relevant) | 23 (77) | 20 (83) | 3 (50) |
| 2b | Names (or location if no standard name) of points used (uni/bilateral) | 30 (100) | 24 (24) | 6 (100) | |
| 2c | Depth of insertion, based on a specified unit of measurement or a particular tissue level | 20 (67) | 15 (63) | 5 (83) | |
| 2d | Response sought (e.g. de qi or muscle twitch response) | 23 (77) | 17 (71) | 6 (100) | |
| 2e | Needle stimulation (e.g. manual, electrical) | 29 (97) | 23 (96) | 6 (100) | |
| 2f | Needle retention time | 29 (97) | 23 (96) | 6 (100) | |
| 2g | Needle type (diameter, length, and manufacturer or material) | 22 (73) | 16 (67) | 6 (100) | |
| Treatment regimen | 3a | Number of treatment sessions | 30 (100) | 24 (100) | 6 (100) |
| 3b | Frequency and duration of treatment sessions | 30 (100) | 24 (100) | 6 (100) | |
| Other components of treatment | 4a | Details of other interventions administered to the acupuncture group (e.g. moxibustion, cupping, herbs, exercises, lifestyle modification advice) | 10 (33) | 5 (21) | 5 (83)* |
| 4b | Setting and context of treatment, including instructions to practitioners, and information to patients | 1 (3) | 0 (0) | 1 (17) | |
| Practitioner background | 5 | Description of participating acupuncturists (qualification or professional affiliation, years in acupuncture practice and other relevant experience) | 1 (3) | 0 (0) | 1 (17) |
| Control or comparator interventions | 6a | Rationale for the control or comparator in the context of the research question and sources justifying the choice | 2 (7) | 0 (0) | 2 (33)* |
| 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 to 3 above | 28 (93) | 22 (92) | 6 (100) |
*
Indicates a significant difference with the studies published in Chinese journals.