TABLE 4.

Number of methods that were indicative of bias within meta-analyses according to effect direction.

	0	1	2	3	4
Crude differences (k = 29)
Declines	6(40%)	5(33%)	2(13%)	2(13%)	0(0%)
Increases	2(22%)	4(44%)	2(22%)	0(0%)	1(11%)
Proteus	1(20%)	2(40%)	0(0%)	1(20%)	1(20%)
Regression coefficients (k = 24)
Declines	6(40%)	6(40%)	2(13%)	0(0%)	1(7%)
Increases	2(22%)	3(33%)	2(22%)	2(22%)	0(0%)

k Declines = 15, k Increases = 9, and k Proteus = 5. Within-row percentages refer to absolute study number of the respective effect trajectory.