TABLE 2.
Quality appraisals of studies in which the effects of CS, LNCS, and UNS preloads on energy intakes were assessed1
| Reference | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q5 | Q6 | Q7 | Q8 | Q9 | Q102 | Q113 | Q12 | Q13 | Q14 | Q15 | Total, n (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Akhavan et al. (2011)—experiment 1 (31) | Yes | NR | NR | NR | Yes | NR | NR | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 9 (64) |
| Akhavan et al. (2011)—experiment 2 (31) | Yes | NR | NR | NR | Yes | NR | NR | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 9 (64) |
| Almiron-Roig and Drewnowski (2003) (32) | No | NR | NR | NR | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | NA | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 9 (69) |
| Anderson et al. (1989) (62) | Yes | NR | NR | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | NR | Yes | Yes | 11 (79) |
| Anton et al. (2010) (33) | No | NR | NR | NR | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | NR | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 9 (64) |
| Bennett et al. (2018) (63) | Yes | NR | NR | NR | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | NR | Yes | Yes | 10 (71) |
| Björvell and Rössner (1982) (34) | Yes | NR | NR | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | NR | NR | Yes | NR | Yes | Yes | 9 (64) |
| Black et al. (1991) (35) | Yes | NR | NR | NR | Yes | NR | NR | Yes | Yes | NR | Yes | Yes | Yes | NR | 7 (50) |
| Black et al. (1993) (36) | Yes | NR | NR | NR | Yes | NR | NR | Yes | Yes | NR | Yes | NR | Yes | NR | 6 (43) |
| Canty and Chan (1991) (37) | Yes | NR | NR | Yes | Yes | NR | NR | Yes | Yes | NR | Yes | Yes | Yes | NR | 8 (57) |
| Cuomo et al. (2011) (38) | Yes | NR | NR | Yes | Yes | NR | NR | Yes | NA | NR | Yes | Yes | Yes | NR | 7 (54) |
| DellaValle et al. (2005) (39) | No | NR | NR | NR | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | NR | Yes | No | 8 (57) |
| Drewnowski et al. (1994) (40) | No | NR | NR | NR | Yes | NR | NR | Yes | NA | NR | Yes | NR | Yes | NR | 4 (31) |
| Drewnowski et al. (1994) (41) | No | NR | NR | NR | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | NA | NR | Yes | NR | Yes | Yes | 7 (54) |
| Farhat et al. (2019) (42) | Yes | NR | NR | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | NR | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 10 (71) |
| Ford et al. (2011) (43) | Yes | NR | NR | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | NR | Yes | Yes | NR | Yes | Yes | 9 (64) |
| Gadah et al. (2016) (44) | Yes | NR | NR | NR | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 11 (79) |
| Hetherington et al. (2000)—exp 1 (64) | No | NR | NR | Yes | Yes | NR | NR | Yes | NR | Yes | Yes | NR | Yes | NR | 6 (43) |
| Hetherington et al. (2000)—exp 2 (64) | No | NR | NR | NR | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | NR | Yes | Yes | NR | Yes | Yes | 8 (57) |
| Kim (2006) (45) | Yes | NR | NR | NR | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | NR | Yes | Yes | NR | Yes | Yes | 9 (64) |
| Lavin et al. (2002) (46) | No | NR | NR | NR | Yes | NR | NR | Yes | NR | NR | Yes | NR | Yes | NR | 4 (29) |
| Maersk et al. (2012) (47) | Yes | NR | NR | NR | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | NR | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 10 (71) |
| Monsivais et al. (2007) (48) | No | NR | NR | NR | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | NR | NR | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 8 (57) |
| Poirier et al. (2019) (65) | Yes | NR | NR | NR | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | NR | Yes | Yes | NR | Yes | Yes | 9 (64) |
| Ranawana and Henry (2010) (49) | Yes | NR | NR | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | NR | Yes | No | 9 (64) |
| Rodin (1990) (50) | Yes | NR | NR | NR | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | NR | NR | Yes | NR | Yes | No | 7 (50) |
| Rogers and Blundell (1989) (51) | No | NR | NR | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | NR | Yes | NR | Yes | No | 8 (57) |
| Rogers et al. (1988) (52) | No | NR | NR | No | Yes | NR | NR | Yes | Yes | NR | Yes | NR | Yes | NR | 5 (36) |
| Rogers et al. (1990)—exp 1 (53) | No | NR | NR | NR | Yes | NR | NR | Yes | Yes | NR | Yes | NR | Yes | NR | 5 (36) |
| Rogers et al. (1990)—exp 2 (53) | No | NR | NR | Yes | Yes | NR | NR | Yes | Yes | NR | Yes | NR | Yes | NR | 6 (43) |
| Rogers et al. (1991) (54) | No | NR | NR | Yes | Yes | NR | NR | Yes | Yes | NR | Yes | NR | Yes | NR | 6 (43) |
| Rolls et al. (1990) (55) | No | NR | NR | NR | Yes | NR | NR | Yes | NR | NR | Yes | NR | Yes | NR | 4 (29) |
| Shafer et al. (1987)—exp 1 (56) | Yes | NR | NR | Yes | Yes | NR | NR | Yes | NR | NR | Yes | NR | Yes | NR | 6 (43) |
| Shafer et al. (1987)—exp 2 (56) | No | NR | NR | NR | Yes | NR | NR | Yes | NR | NR | Yes | NR | Yes | NR | 4 (29) |
| Soenen and Westerterp-Platenga (2007) (57) | Yes | NR | NR | NR | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | NA | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | 9 (69) |
| Stamataki et al. (2020) (58) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | NR | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 13 (93) |
| Tey et al. (2017) (59) | Yes | NR | NR | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | NR | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | 10 (71) |
| Vozzo et al. (2002)—exp 1 (60) | Yes | NR | NR | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | NR | Yes | Yes | NR | Yes | Yes | 9 (64) |
| Vozzo et al. (2002)—exp 2 (60) | Yes | NR | NR | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | NR | Yes | Yes | NR | Yes | Yes | 9 (64) |
| Woodend and Anderson (2001) (61) | No | NR | NR | NR | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | NA | NR | Yes | NR | Yes | No | 6 (46) |
| Total, n (%) | 23 (58) | 1 (3) | 1 (3) | 11 (28) | 40 (100) | 24 (60) | 24 (60) | 40 (100) | 18 (53) | 18 (45) | 40 (100) | 13 (33) | 40 (100) | 20 (50) |
1Questions were as follows: Q1. Was the study described as randomized, a randomized trial, a randomized clinical trial, or an RCT? Q2. Was the method of randomization adequate (i.e., use of randomly generated assignment)? Q3. Was the treatment allocation concealed (so that assignments could not be predicted)? Q4. Were study participants and providers blinded to treatment group assignment? [Omitted because of the nature of the studies and the challenges in blinding (participants can distinguish sweetened from unsweetened; participants likely can also distinguish CS and LNCS)]. Q5. Were the people assessing the outcomes blinded to the participants’ group assignments? Q6. Were the groups similar at baseline on important characteristics that could affect outcomes (e.g., demographics, risk factors, comorbid conditions)? Q7. Was the overall drop-out rate from the study at endpoint 20% or lower of the number allocated to treatment? Q8. Was the differential drop-out rate (between treatment groups) at endpoint 15 percentage points or lower? Q9. Was there high adherence to the intervention protocols for each treatment group? Q10. Were variables on the day of testing controlled (i.e., were participants requested to fast between breakfast and consumption of the preload and/or consume a standardized breakfast)? Q11. Were variables on the day before testing controlled (i.e., was an overnight fast required and were alcohol and/or physical activity restrictions similar in the groups)? Q12. Were outcomes assessed using valid and reliable measures, implemented consistently across all study participants? Q13. Did the authors report that the sample size was sufficiently large to be able to detect a difference in the main outcome between groups with at least 80% power? Q14. Were outcomes reported or subgroups analyzed prespecified (i.e., identified before analyses were conducted)? Q15. Were all randomized participants analyzed in the group to which they were originally assigned (i.e., did they use an intention-to-treat analysis)? CS, caloric sweetener; exp, experiment; LNCS, low-/no-calorie sweetener; NA, not applicable; NR, not reported; Q, question; UNS, unsweetened.
2Q10 was analyzed based on 2 criteria; a “yes” was required for each of the following: 1) participants were requested to fast and 2) participants consumed a standardized breakfast. If the publication did not account for both criteria, the publication received an “NR” for Q10. In the case where the breakfast was the preload or the ad libitum meal, question 10 is NA as the fasting period between the breakfast and preload could not be measured. In this circumstance, overnight fasting was mandatory the day prior to testing and was required in order to score question 11 as a “yes.”
3Q11 was analyzed based on 3 criteria; a “yes” was awarded if: i) participants were requested to fast overnight, AND EITHER 2) physical activity was standardized the night before each testing session OR 3) alcohol consumption was standardized the night before each testing session; otherwise, the publication received an “NR” for Q11.