TABLE 4.
Quality score: Newcastle-Ottawa quality assessment scale for cohort studies—outcome: bone mass density1
| Reference | Year | Selection: Representativeness of the exposed cohort | Selection: Selection of the non-exposed cohort | Selection: Ascertainment of exposure | Selection: Demonstration that outcome of interest was not present at start of study | Comparability: Comparability of cohorts on the basis of the design or analysis | Outcome: Assessment of outcome | Outcome: Was follow-up long enough for outcomes to occur | Outcome: Adequacy of follow-up of cohorts | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kalkwarf (30) | 2003 | ★ | ★ | ★ | — | ★ | ★ | ★ | — | ★★★★★★ (6) |
| Sahni (40) | 2017 | ★ | ★ | ★ | ★ | ★ | ★ | ★ | — | ★★★★★★★ (7) |
| Biver (39) | 2018 | ★ | ★ | ★ | ★ | — | ★ | ★ | — | ★★★★★★ (6) |
1The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) identifies high-quality choices with a star. A maximum of 1 star is applied for each item within the Selection and Outcome categories, and a maximum of 2 stars for Comparability. The NOS assigns quality scores up to 9 points. All the publications included in the bone mass density review were of acceptable quality, with a median NOS score of 6.3 out of 9 (range: 6–7).