TABLE 2.
Subgroup | No. of trials | No. of participants | I 2 (%) | Pooled SMD [95% CI] |
---|---|---|---|---|
Probiotics dose | ||||
≥1010 CFU/day | 5 | 231 | 0 | −0.65 [−0.92, −0.39] |
<1010 CFU/day | 5 | 226 | 0 | −0.12 [−0.38, 0.14] |
NR | 1 | 41 | 0 | −0.26 [−0.88, 0.36] |
Probiotics strain | ||||
Single | 6 | 237 | 0 | −0.19 [−0.44, 0.07] |
Multiple | 5 | 261 | 16.6 | −0.55 [−0.82, −0.27] |
Duration of intervention | ||||
≤8 weeks | 6 | 255 | 0 | −0.47 [−0.72, −0.22] |
>8 weeks | 5 | 243 | 19.1 | −0.27 [−0.56, 0.01] |
Method of administration | ||||
Powder/capsule | 6 | 260 | 0 | −0.56 [−0.81, −0.31] |
Food | 5 | 238 | 0 | −0.18 [−0.44, 0.07] |
CFU, colony forming unit; SMD, standardized mean difference.