Table 3. Summary of subgroup results for association of ALB with risk of the epithelial ovarian cancer.
| Stratification | Number of studies | RR (95% CI) | I2,% | P for heterogeneity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All studies | 13 | 0.77 (0.65–0.91) | 73.90% | <0.001 |
| Continent where the study was conducted | ||||
| North America | 7 | 0.71 (0.60–0.84) | 0.00% | 0.488 |
| Oceania | 1 | 0.57 (0.36–0.90) | ||
| Europe | 5 | 0.86 (0.65–1.14) | 88.70% | <0.001 |
| The type of study design | ||||
| Case–control study | 10 | 0.73 (0.60–0.88) | 58.30% | 0.010 |
| Cohort study | 3 | 0.92 (0.85–1.00) | 0.00% | 0.598 |
| Whether the results were adjusted for parity or not | ||||
| Yes | 10 | 0.76 (0.63–0.93) | 80.00% | <0.001 |
| No | 3 | 0.82 (0.61–1.11) | 0.00% | 0.617 |
| Whether the results were adjusted for the use of OC or not | ||||
| Yes | 7 | 0.81 (0.63–1.03) | 76.90% | <0.001 |
| No | 6 | 0.66 (0.59–0.74) | 0.00% | 0.675 |
| Whether the results were adjusted for tubal ligation or not | ||||
| Yes | 5 | 0.74 (0.58–0.94) | 72.20% | 0.006 |
| No | 8 | 0.81 (0.62–1.04) | 63.30% | 0.008 |
RR (95% CI) represent the relative risk (95% CI) of epithelial ovarian cancer for the highest versus the lowest stratification of ALB.