13. Details of data transformations and adjustments made for meta‐analyses.
| Study | Indicator | Collection/reporting point | Mean cluster size (if applicable) | Intracluster correlation coefficient applied (if applicable) | Data transformation | Original effect size and standard error (with adjustment for clustering if applicable) | Final or transformed effect size and standard error (with adjustment for clustering if applicable) |
| Hospitalisations | |||||||
| Atherly 2009 | Instances of hospitalisation in previous 4 weeks | Post intervention (3‐month follow‐up) | 45.8 | 0.05 | Yes – transformed from odds ratio to SMD | OR (0.7736); SE (lnOR) (1.385) | SMD (‐0.141); SE (0.764) |
| Bruzzese 2011 | Hospitalisations in the past 2 months | Post intervention (12‐month follow‐up) | N/A | N/A | No | N/A | SMD (‐0.219); SE (0.120) |
| Clark 2005 | Hospitalisations | Post intervention (12‐month follow‐up) | Deemed that analysis methods accounted for clustering | Deemed that analysis methods accounted for clustering | Yes – transformed from odds ratio to SMD | OR (1.43); SE (estimated from P value (lnOR)) 0.39 | SMD (‐0.197); SE (0.215) |
| Gerald 2006 | Median hospitalisations (not combined) | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Horner 2008 | Any hospital stays in the past 12 months (based on parents reporting any stay) | Post intervention (7‐month follow‐up) | 10.1 (reported by study authors) | 0.05 | Yes – transformed from odds ratio to SMD | OR (0.882); SE (lnOR) (0.791) | SMD (‐0.069); SE (0.436) |
| Horner 2015 | Mean number of hospitalisations since the previous data collection (at 8 months) | Post intervention (12‐month follow‐up) | 8.9 (approx.) | 0.05 | No | N/A | SMD (‐0.057); SE (0.169) |
| Levy 2006 | Mean hospital days | Post test (at intervention end) | 17.36 | 0.05 | No | N/A | SMD (‐0.293); SE (0.174) |
| Emergency department visits | |||||||
| Atherly 2009 | Instances of ED visits in previous 4 weeks | Post intervention (3‐month follow‐up) | 45.8 | 0.05 | No | N/A | OR (1.036); SE (lnOR) (0.916) |
| Bruzzese 2011 | Mean ED visits in the past 2 months | Post intervention (12‐month follow‐up) | N/A | N/A | Yes ‐ transformed from SMD to OR | SMD (‐0.289); SE (0.120) | OR (0.592); SE (lnOR) (0.218) |
| Cicutto 2005 | ED visits in the past year | Post intervention (12‐month follow‐up) | 9.85 | 0.05 | No | N/A | OR (0.697); SE (lnOR) (0.407) |
| Cicutto 2013 | ED visits in the past year (reports of) | Post intervention (12‐month follow‐up) | 7.7 | 0.05 | No | N/A | OR (0.318); SE (lnOR) (0.317) |
| Clark 2005 | ED visits | Post intervention (12‐month follow‐up) | Deemed that analysis methods accounted for clustering | Deemed that analysis methods accounted for clustering | No, but see notes | N/A | OR (1.002)*; SE (estimated from P value (lnOR)) 0.072 *Note that the OR was reported as 1.00 in the paper with a P value of 0.98. So information could be used and an SE extracted, a small correction to an OR of 1.002 was applied |
| Gerald 2006 | Median ED visits (not combined) | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Horner 2008 | Any ED visits in the past 12 months (based on parents reporting any stay) | Post intervention (7‐month follow‐up) | 10.1 (reported by study authors) | 0.05 | No | N/A | OR (0.857); SE (lnOR) (0.461) |
| Horner 2015 | Mean number of ED visits since the previous data collection (8 months) | Post intervention (12‐month follow‐up) | 8.9 (approx.) | 0.05 | Yes ‐ transformed from SMD to OR | SMD (0); SE (0.169) | OR (1.00); SE (0.306) |
| Howell 2005 | Mean number of ED visits in the past 6 weeks | Post intervention (3‐month follow‐up) | 4.25 | 0.05 | Yes ‐ transformed from SMD to OR | SMD (‐0.331); SE (0.578) | OR (0.549); SE (1.049) |
| Levy 2006 | Mean urgent care or emergency visits | Post test (at intervention end) | 17.36 | 0.05 | Yes ‐ transformed from SMD to OR | SMD (‐0.286); SE (0.174) | OR (0.595); SE (0.318) |
| McGhan 2003 | ED visits in the past year (any) | Post intervention (9‐month follow‐up) | 9 | 0.05 | No | N/A | OR (1.283); SE (lnOR) (0.649) |
| McGhan 2010 | ED visits in the past year (any) | Post intervention (12‐month follow‐up) | 8.3 | 0.05 | No | N/A | OR (2.64); SE (lnOR) (0.707) |
| Persaud 1996 | Children with ED Visits (20‐week period post intervention) | Post intervention (events in 20‐week period post intervention) | N/A | N/A | No | N/A | OR (0.286); SE (lnOR) (0.737) |
| Velsor‐Friedrich 2005 | Urgent doctor visits (any in the past 12 months) | Post intervention (12‐month follow‐up) | 13 | 0.05 | No | N/A | OR (0.683); SE (lnOR) (0.933) |
| Absence from school | |||||||
| Bruzzese 2011 | Mean self‐reported absence in past 2 weeks (any absence) | Post intervention (12‐month follow‐up) | N/A | N/A | No | N/A | SMD (‐0.382); SE (0.121) |
| Cicutto 2005 | Parent‐reported absence (any absence) over a year | Post intervention (12‐month follow‐up) | 9.85 | 0.05 | No | N/A | SMD (‐0.256); SE (0.151) |
| Cicutto 2013 | Parent‐reported absence (any absence) over a year | Post intervention (12‐month follow‐up) | 7.7 | 0.05 | Yes – transformed from odds ratio to SMD | OR (0.660); SE (lnOR) (0.129) | SMD (‐0.229); SE (0.071) |
| Gerald 2006 | Absences recorded on school records | Post test (unclear duration) | Clustering accounted for in analytical strategy | Clustering accounted for in analytical strategy | No | N/A | SMD (‐0.199); SE (0.084) |
| Gerald 2009 | Absence from school due to respiratory illness/asthma *December measure used |
Post intervention (15‐month follow‐up) | N/A | N/A | Yes – transformed from odds ratio to SMD | OR (1.1667); SE (lnOR) (0.364) | SMD (0.085); SE (0.227) |
| Howell 2005 | School days missed in past 6 weeks | Post intervention (3‐month follow‐up) | 3.25 | 0.05 | No | N/A | SMD (0.152); SE (0.635) |
| McGhan 2003 | Any missed school days | Post intervention (9‐month follow‐up) | 9 | 0.05 | Yes – transformed from odds ratio to SMD | OR (0.720); SE (lnOR) (0.413) | SMD (‐0.181); SE (0.227) |
| McGhan 2010 | (No) Missed school days (any) over past 12 months | Post intervention (12‐month follow‐up) | 8.3 | 0.05 | Yes – transformed from odds ratio to SMD | OR (0.640); SE (lnOR) (0.353) | SMD (0.246); SE (0.195) (note: inverse taken as the intervention favours control) |
| Persaud 1996 | Mean school days of absence based on school records | Post intervention (immediately afterwards) | N/A | N/A | No | N/A | SMD (‐0.236); SE (0.335) |
| Splett 2006 | Mean percentage of days attended | Post intervention (12‐month follow‐up) | Deemed that analysis methods accounted for clustering | Deemed that analysis methods accounted for clustering | No | N/A | SMD (0.019); SE (0.051) |
| Days of restricted activity | |||||||
| Bruzzese 2011 | Mean self‐reported days of restricted activity in past 2 weeks | Post intervention (12‐month follow‐up) | N/A | N/A | No | N/A | SMD (‐0.349); SE (0.120) |
| Cicutto 2005 | Days of limited activity due to asthma | Post intervention (12‐month follow‐up) | 9.85 | 0.05 | No | N/A | SMD (‐0.318); SE (0.151) |
| Cicutto 2013 | Percentage of students reporting days of restricted activity | Post intervention (12‐month follow‐up) | 7.7 | 0.05 | Yes – transformed from odds ratio to SMD | OR (0.612); SE (lnOR) (0.130) | SMD (‐0.271); SE (0.072) |
| Unplanned visits to medical providers | |||||||
| Bruzzese 2011 | Mean acute care visits in the past 2 months | Post intervention (12‐month follow‐up) | N/A | N/A | Yes – transformed from SMD to OR | SMD (‐0.283); SE (0.120) | OR (0.598); SE (0.217) |
| Cicutto 2013 | Unscheduled care in the past year (reports of) | Post intervention (12‐month follow‐up) | 7.7 | 0.05 | No | OR (0.703); SE (lnOR) (0.143) | SMD (‐0.194); SE (0.079) |
| McGhan 2003 | Any unscheduled doctor visits | Post intervention (9‐month follow‐up) | 9 | 0.05 | No | OR (0.886); SE (lnOR) (0.426) | SMD (‐0.067); SE (0.235) |
| McGhan 2010 | Unscheduled GP visits (any) over past 12 months | Post intervention (12‐month follow‐up) | 8.3 | 0.05 | No | OR (1.169); SE (lnOR) (0.397) | SMD (0.086); SE (0.219) |
| Splett 2006 | Episodic asthma visits to school health office (over 6 months following start of intervention) | Over 6 months following start of intervention | 97.6 | 0.05 | No | OR (0.913); SE (lnOR) (0.282) | SMD (‐0.046); SE (0.156) |
| Daytime symptoms | |||||||
| Atherly 2009 | Mean number of days with asthma symptoms | Post intervention (3‐month follow‐up) | 45.8 | 0.05 | No | N/A | SMD (‐0.026); SE (0.168) |
| Bruzzese 2008 | Mean days last 2 weeks with asthma symptoms | Post intervention (2‐month follow‐up) | N/A | N/A | No | N/A | SMD (‐0.151); SE (0.418) |
| Bruzzese 2011 | Mean days last 2 weeks with asthma symptoms | Post intervention (12‐month follow‐up) | N/A | N/A | No | N/A | SMD (‐0.210); SE (0.120) |
| Shah 2001 | Number of students reporting attacks in school at follow‐up | Post intervention (6‐month follow‐up) | 41.8 | 0.05 | Yes – transformed from odds ratio to SMD | OR (0.647); SE (lnOR) (0.488) | SMD (‐0.240); SE (0.269) |
| Velsor‐Friedrich 2005 | Symptom days in past 2 weeks | Post intervention (12‐month follow‐up) | 13 | 0.05 | Yes – transformed from odds ratio to SMD | OR (0.846); SE (lnOR) (0.705) | SMD (‐0.030); SE (0.413) |
| Night‐time symptoms | |||||||
| Bruzzese 2008 | Mean nights woken last 2 weeks with asthma symptoms | Post intervention (2‐month follow‐up) | N/A | N/A | No | N/A | SMD (‐0.433); SE (0.423) |
| Bruzzese 2011 | Mean self‐reported night‐time awakenings in past 2 weeks | Post intervention (12‐month follow‐up) | N/A | N/A | No | N/A | SMD (‐0.388); SE (0.121) |
| Howell 2005 | Mean number of night‐time awakenings in past 6 weeks | Post intervention (3‐month follow‐up) | 4.25 | 0.05 | No | N/A | SMD (0.253); SE (0.478) |
| McGhan 2003 | Waking up in past 2 weeks twice or more | Post intervention (9‐month follow‐up) | 9 | 0.05 | Yes – transformed from odds ratio to SMD | OR (1.237); SE (lnOR) (0.412) | SMD (0.117); SE (0.227) |
| Use of reliever therapies | |||||||
| Gerald 2009 | Rescue medication use over twice per week *November measure used |
Post intervention (15‐month follow‐up) | N/A | N/A | N/A | OR (0.228); SE (lnOR) (0.582) | N/A |
| McGhan 2003 | Number of students with appropriate use of reliever medication | Post intervention (9‐month follow‐up) | 9 | 0.05 | N/A | OR (3.48); SE (lnOR) (0.565) | N/A |
| McGhan 2010 | Used short‐acting bronchodilators in past 2 weeks | Post intervention (12‐month follow‐up) | 8.3 | 0.05 | N/A | OR (0.878); SE (lnOR) (0.356) | N/A |
| Splett 2006 | Students with access to reliever medication visiting health office (over 6 months following start of intervention) *Note low levels of children with reliever medication |
Over 6 months following start of intervention | 97.6 | 0.05 | N/A | OR (1.28); SE (lnOR) (0.282) | N/A |
| Use of corticosteroids and/or use of add‐on therapies | |||||||
| Bruzzese 2011 | Use of controller medication | Post intervention (12‐month follow‐up) | N/A | N/A | No | N/A | OR (1.451); SE (lnOR) (0.240) |
| Horner 2015 | Inhaled corticosteroid adherence | Post intervention (5‐month follow‐up) | 8.9 | 0.05 | No | N/A | SMD (‐0.605); SE (0.173) |
| Howell 2005 | Inhaled corticosteroid adherence as prescribed (during past week) | Post intervention (3‐month follow‐up) | 4.25 | 0.05 | No | N/A | SMD (0.953); SE (0.546) |
| McGhan 2003 | Currently using inhaled steroids | Post intervention (9‐month follow‐up) | 9 | 0.05 | No | N/A | OR (1.112); SE (lnOR) (0.418) |
| McGhan 2010 | Currently using inhaled steroids | Post intervention (12‐month follow‐up) | 8.3 | 0.05 | No | N/A | OR (0.962); SE (lnOR) (0.376) |
| Splett 2006 | Students with access to controller medication visiting health office (over 6 months following start of intervention) *Note low levels of children with controller medication |
Over 6 months following start of intervention | 97.6 | 0.05 | N/A | OR (1.703); SE (lnOR) (0.806) | SMD (0.293); SE (0.445) |
| Lung function | |||||||
| Gerald 2009 | Poor peak flow measures (red/amber readings) | Post‐intervention (15‐month follow‐up) | N/A | N/A | No | OR (0.94); SE (lnOR) (0.334) | |
| Horner 2015 | Airway inflammation (exhaled nitric oxide, collected using the single‐use RTube collection device, was the biomarker of airway inflammation) |
Post intervention (12‐month follow‐up) | 8.9 | 0.05 | No | N/A | SMD (‐0.011); SE (0.169) |
| Shah 2001 | Forced expiratory volume in 1 second: forced vital capacity before bronchodilator |
Post intervention (3‐month follow‐up) | Deemed that analysis methods accounted for clustering | Deemed that analysis methods accounted for clustering | No | N/A | SMD (0.074); SE (0.127) |
| Patterson 2005 | Forced expiratory volume in 1 second (% predicted change) |
Post intervention (2‐month follow‐up) | Deemed that analysis methods accounted for clustering | Deemed that analysis methods accounted for clustering | No | N/A | SMD (‐0.05); SE (0.177) |
| Velsor‐Friedrich 2005 | Peak flow increases as a percentage of pretest peak flow (change) |
Post intervention (12‐month follow‐up) | 13 | 0.05 | No | N/A | SMD (‐5.905); SE (0.839) |
| Quality of life | Mean difference (QoL only) | Standardised mean difference (QoL only) | |||||
| Al‐Sheyab 2012 | Arabic version of the Pediatric Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (PAQLQ) *because of uncertainty about SD values, derived from t/P value of difference between means |
Post intervention (3‐month follow‐up) | Deemed that analysis methods accounted for clustering | Deemed that analysis methods accounted for clustering | No | MD 1.35 (CI 0.96 to 1.74) | SMD (0.299); SE (0.129) |
| Cicutto 2005 | Juniper Pediatric Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire overall quality of life | Post intervention (2‐month follow‐up) | 9.85 | 0.05 | No | MD 0.50 (CI 0.00 to 1.00) | SMD (0.356); SE (0.151) |
| Cicutto 2013 | Juniper Pediatric Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire overall quality of life | Post intervention (12‐month follow‐up) | 7.7 | 0.05 | No | MD 0.40 (CI 0.21 to 0.59) | SMD (0.308); SE (0.064) |
| Henry 2004 | Juniper Pediatric Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire overall quality of life | Post intervention (6‐month follow‐up) | 15.2 | 0.05 | No | MD 0.16 (CI ‐0.22 to 0.54) | SMD (0.128); SE (0.114) |
| Horner 2008 | Juniper Pediatric Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire overall quality of life | Post intervention (7‐month follow‐up) | 10.2 | 0.05 | No | MD 0.05 (CI ‐0.21 to 0.31) | SMD (0.083); SE (0.196) |
| Howell 2005 | Juniper Pediatric Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire overall quality of life | Post intervention (3‐month follow‐up) | 6 | 0.05 | No | MD 0.03 (CI ‐1.71 to 1.77) | SMD (0.020); SE (0.484) |
| Kintner 2009 | Quality of life is defined through the Participation in Life Activities Scale |
Immediately post intervention | Deemed that analysis methods accounted for clustering | Deemed that analysis methods accounted for clustering | No | N/A | SMD (0.583); SE (0.263) |
| Patterson 2005 | Change in Juniper Pediatric Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire overall quality of life | Change in quality of life between baseline and 4 months post intervention | Deemed that analysis methods accounted for clustering | Deemed that analysis methods accounted for clustering | No | MD 0.07 (CI ‐0.26 to 0.40) | N/A |
| Shah 2001 | Juniper Pediatric Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire overall quality of life; percentage of students with clinically significant improvement | Post intervention (3‐month follow‐up) | Deemed that analysis methods accounted for clustering | Deemed that analysis methods accounted for clustering | No | MD 0.09 (CI ‐0.23 to 0.41) | N/A |
| Withdrawal | |||||||
| Al‐Sheyab 2012 | Withdrew between baseline and outcome collection | Post intervention (3‐month follow‐up) | 65.25 | 0.05 | No | N/A | OR (0.511); SE (lnOR) (1.074) |
| Bartholomew 2006 | Lost to follow‐up at post‐test measure | Post intervention (duration unclear) | 11.2 | 0.05 | No | N/A | OR (0.237); SE (lnOR) (0.145) |
| Bruzzese 2008 | Withdrew between baseline and outcome collection | Immediate post intervention | N/A | N/A | No | N/A | OR (0.307); SE (lnOR) (1.683) |
| Bruzzese 2011 | Withdrew between baseline and outcome collection | Post intervention (12‐month follow‐up) | N/A | N/A | No | N/A | OR (1.313); SE (lnOR) (0.279) |
| Cicutto 2005 | Withdrew between baseline and outcome collection | Post intervention (6‐month follow‐up) | 9.85 | 0.05 | No | N/A | OR (1.788); SE (lnOR) (0.629) |
| Gerald 2009 | Withdrew between baseline and outcome collection | Post intervention (6‐month follow‐up) | N/A | N/A | No | N/A | OR (1.788); SE (lnOR) (0.613) |
| Horner 2008 | Withdrew between baseline and outcome collection | Post intervention (7‐month follow‐up) | 10.2 | 0.05 | No | N/A | OR (1.333); SE (lnOR) (0.531) |
| Horner 2015 | Failed to complete final data collection | Post intervention (12‐month follow‐up) | 8.9 | 0.05 | No | N/A | OR (0.75); SE (lnOR) (0.486) |
| Kintner 2009 | Withdrew during intervention and between end of intervention and follow‐up | Post intervention (12‐month follow‐up) | 13.2 | 0.05 | No | N/A | OR (30.176); SE (lnOR) (1.860) |
| Levy 2006 | Failure to complete outcome evaluation | Post intervention (12‐month follow‐up) | 17.36 | 0.05 | No | N/A | OR (0.357); SE (lnOR) (0.3881) |
| McGhan 2003 | Withdrew between baseline and outcome collection | Post intervention (9‐month follow‐up) | 9 | 0.05 | No | N/A | OR (1.147); SE (lnOR) (0.5381) |
| McGhan 2010 | Withdrew between baseline and interim outcome collection | Post intervention (6‐month follow‐up) | 8.3 | 0.05 | No | N/A | OR (1.007); SE (lnOR) (0.387) |
| Patterson 2005 | Withdrew during intervention | Post intervention – immediately following intervention | 7.95 | 0.05 | No | N/A | OR (5.675); SE (lnOR) (1.087) |
| Shah 2001 | Withdrew between baseline and outcome collection | Post intervention (3‐month follow‐up) | 45.3 | 0.05 | No | N/A | OR (1.343); SE (lnOR) (0.475) |
CI: confidence interval.
ED: emergency department.
lnOR: log odds ratio.
MD: mean difference.
N/A: not applicable.
OR: odds ratio.
PAQLQ: Pediatric Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire.
QoL: quality of life.
SD: standard deviation.
SE: standard error.
SMD: standardised mean difference.