Table 3. Quality assessment results.
| QAT major criteria | Selection Bias | Study Design | Confounders | Blinding | Data Collection Methods | Withdrawals and dropouts | Global QAT Rating | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reference No. | Representative Sample | % ppl agreed to participate | Overall SB rating | Type | Randomised—Y/N | Randomisation described? | Appropriate Method? | Overall SD rating | Diff. b/w groups? | Type | % controlled confounders | Overall Confounders rating | Blinded researchers? | Blinded Participants? | Overall Blinding rating | Valid data collection tools? | Reliable data collection tools? | Overall DC rating | Withdrawls reported? w/ reasons? | % part. who completed intervention | Overall WD rating | |
| [34] | 2 | 5 | 3 | 3 | N | n/a | n/a | 2 | N | n/a | n/a | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | n/a | 3 | 3 |
| [35] | 2 | 5 | 3 | 7 | N | n/a | n/a | 3 | 3 | n/a | n/a | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | n/a | 3 | 3 |
| [26] | 1 | 3 | 2 | 7 | N | n/a | n/a | 3 | N | n/a | n/a | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| [36] | 2 | 5 | 3 | 7 | N | n/a | n/a | 3 | N | n/a | n/a | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| [37] | 1 | 2 | 2 | 7 | Y | n/a | n/a | 3 | N | n/a | n/a | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| [39] | 1 | 2 | 2 | 7 | N | n/a | n/a | 3 | N | n/a | n/a | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| [40] | 1 | 3 | 2 | 7 | Y | n/a | n/a | 3 | N | n/a | n/a | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
| [41] | 2 | 5 | 3 | 7 | N | n/a | n/a | 3 | N | n/a | n/a | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| [43] | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | N | n/a | n/a | 3 | N | n/a | n/a | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| [45] | 3 | 5 | 3 | 5 | N | n/a | n/a | 3 | N | n/a | n/a | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| [46] | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | N | n/a | n/a | 3 | N | n/a | n/a | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| [48] | 2 | 5 | 2 | 7 | N | n/a | n/a | 3 | N | n/a | n/a | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| [49] | 1 | 3 | 2 | 7 | N | n/a | n/a | 3 | N | n/a | n/a | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| [51] | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | N | n/a | n/a | 3 | N | n/a | n/a | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| [52] | 2 | 4 | 3 | 5 | N | n/a | n/a | 3 | N | n/a | n/a | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| [53] | 2 | 4 | 3 | 7 | N | n/a | n/a | 3 | N | n/a | n/a | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 3 |
| [56] | 1 | 2 | 2 | 7 | N | n/a | n/a | 3 | N | n/a | n/a | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| [57] | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | Y | n/a | n/a | 2 | Y | training | Y | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| [58] | 1 | 2 | 2 | 7 | N | n/a | n/a | 3 | N | n/a | n/a | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| [59] | 1 | 2 | 2 | 7 | N | n/a | n/a | 3 | N | n/a | n/a | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 3 |
| [60] | 4 | 4 | 3 | 7 | N | n/a | n/a | 3 | Y | profession | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| [61] | 2 | 4 | 3 | 7 | N | n/a | n/a | 3 | N | n/a | n/a | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| [62] | 2 | 4 | 3 | 7 | N | n/a | n/a | 3 | N | n/a | n/a | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| [63] | 4 | 4 | 3 | 7 | N | n/a | n/a | 3 | N | n/a | n/a | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| [64] | 4 | 4 | 3 | 7 | N | n/a | n/a | 3 | N | n/a | n/a | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| [65] | 2 | 3 | 3 | 7 | N | n/a | n/a | 3 | N | n/a | n/a | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
| [66] | 4 | 5 | 3 | 7 | N | n/a | n/a | 3 | N | n/a | n/a | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 |