Table 2.

Specifications of studies entered into the meta-analysis.

Author, year, reference	Country	Sample size control group	Sample size intervention group	Mean ± SD group intervention	Mean ± SD group control	P value
Vakilian, et al., 2012, [23]	Arak	60	60	6.80 ± 1.73	7.11 ± 1.26	0.27
Alavi, et al. 2010, [24]	Shiraz	80	80	6.60 ± 2.20	7.80 ± 1.90	≤0.001
Seraji and Vakilian, 2011, [25]	Arak	60	60	6.85 ± 1.65	7.14 ± 1.30	0.28
Leghaei and Hosseini, 2018, [26]	Shiraz	20	20	2.92 ± 1.29	7.54 ± 0.65	≤0.001
Hosseini, et al., 2016, [27]	Shiraz	15	15	3.23 ± 0.84	4.70 ± 0.46	≤0.001
Nikbakht, et al., 2014, [28]	Mashhad	20	20	5.95 ± 1.39	9.65 ± 0.58	≤0.001
Nehbandanii et al., 2018, [29]	Zabol	30	30	7.70 ± 1.20	9.05 ± 0.99	≤0.001
Sobhani, et al., 2006, [30]	Gilan	240	240	6.14 ± 0.59	7.85 ± 0.32	≤0.001
Khani, et al. 2013, [31]	Birjand	30	30	4.78 ± 1.50	6.14 ± 1.52	≤0.001
Houshyar, et al., 2015, [32]	Kerman	50	50	6.02 ± 0.94	7.75 ± 0.97	≤0.001
Hadi and Hanid, 2011, [33]	Tabriz	100	100	1.20 ± 0.87	4.23 ± 0.95	0.12
Yazdkhasti and Pirak, 2016, [34]	Tehran	60	59	6.90 ± 1.70	8.50 ± 1.30	≤0.001
Olapour, et al., 2013, [35]	Ahvaz	30	30	5.58 ± 0.48	6.98 ± 0.62	≤0.001