Table 3.
The Newcastle–Ottawa Scale (NOS)
| Author | Selection | Comparability | Outcome | Score | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Representativeness of the exposed cohort | Selection of nonexposed cohort | Ascertainment of exposure | Demonstration that the outcome of interest was not present at the start of the study | Comparability of cohorts on the basis of the design or analysis | Assessment of outcomes | Follow-up was long enough for outcomes to occur | Adequacy of follow-up | ||
| Mao Z | ★ | ★ | ★ | ★ | ★ | ★ | ★ | – | 7 |
| Yozawa S | ★ | ★ | ★ | ★ | ★ | ★ | ★ | – | 7 |
| Besiris GT | ★ | ★ | ★ | ★ | ★ | ★ | ★ | – | 7 |
| Lin YK | ★ | ★ | ★ | ★ | ★ | ★ | ★ | ★ | 8 |
| Sivasubramanian H | ★ | ★ | ★ | ★ | ★ | ★ | ★ | – | 7 |