Table 2. Methodological appraisal for selected studies using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme checklist15.
Study |
1. Did the study address a clearly focused issue? |
2. Was the assignment of patients to treatments randomized? |
3. Were patients, health workers, and study personnel blinded? |
4. Were the groups similar at the start of the trial? |
5. Aside from experimental intervention, were the groups treated equally? |
6. Were all the patients who entered the trial properly accounted for at its conclusion? |
7. How large were the treatment effects? |
8. How precise were the treatment effects? |
9. Can the results be applied locally? |
10. Were all clinically important outcomes considered? |
11. Are the benefits worth the harms and costs? |
Associated risk of potential bias |
Andersson (1992)9 |
Y |
Y |
N |
Y |
Y |
Y |
CT |
SP |
Y |
Y |
CT |
Low |
Raudaskoski (1995)10 |
Y |
Y |
N |
Y |
Y |
Y |
CT |
SP |
Y |
CT |
CT |
Low |
Antoniou (1997)11 |
Y |
Y |
N |
Y |
Y |
Y |
CT |
P |
Y |
CT |
Y |
Low |
Suvanto-Luukkonen (1998)12 |
Y |
Y |
N |
Y |
Y |
Y |
CT |
P |
Y |
CT |
CT |
Low |
Wollter-Svensson (2001)13 |
Y |
Y |
N |
Y |
Y |
Y |
CT |
P |
Y |
Y |
CT |
Low |
Raudaskoski (2002)14 |
Y |
Y |
N |
Y |
Y |
Y |
CT |
SP |
Y |
CT |
CT |
Low |
Boon (2003)15 |
Y |
Y |
N |
Y |
Y |
Y |
CT |
P |
Y |
CT |
CT |
Low |
Wildemeersch (2005)16 |
Y |
N |
N |
N/A |
N/A |
Y |
CT |
NP |
N |
CT |
CT |
High |
Wildemeersch (2007)17 |
Y |
N |
N |
N/A |
N/A |
Y |
CT |
NP |
N |
CT |
CT |
High |
Hampton (2005)18 |
Y |
N |
N |
N/A |
N/A |
Y |
CT |
P |
Y |
Y |
CT |
High |
Varila (2001)19 |
Y |
N |
N |
Y |
N/A |
Y |
CT |
SP |
CT |
Y |
CT |
Moderate |
Abbreviations: Y=Yes; N=No; CT=Couldn’t Tell; P=Precise; SP=Somewhat Precise; NP=Not Precise.