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. 2020 Aug 20;10(8):e039543. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-039543

Table 1.

Characteristics of included studies

Characteristics Frequency count (%)
Study type
 Interventional studies 40 (50.0)
 Randomised controlled trial 17 (21.3)
 Pre–post study 9 (11.3)
 Cluster randomised controlled trial 7 (8.8)
 Non-randomised trial 6 (7.5)
 Randomised trial 1 (1.3)
 Observational studies 13 (16.3)
 Prospective cohort study 10 (12.5)
 Retrospective cohort study 2 (2.5)
 Cross-sectional study 1 (1.3)
 Others 27 (33.8)
 Study protocol 13 (16.3)
 Conference abstract 13 (16.3)
 Report 1 (1.3)
Publication year
 1998 – 2003 8 (10.0)
 2004 – 2008 8 (10.0)
 2009 – 2013 15 (18.8)
 2014 – 2019 49 (61.3)
Country of origin
 USA and Canada 31 (38.8)
 UK and Ireland 5 (6.3)
 Scandinavia 9 (11.3)
 Western Europe 25 (31.3)
 Asia 6 (7.5)
 Australia 3 (3.8)
 Others 1 (1.3)