Table 2.

Methodological Assessment of Observational Studies.

Observational studies (n = 3)
Study ID	Indication	Participants		Criteria		Intervention	Dropout	Objectives	Duration of treatment (follow-up)	Main results	Funding
		Sample size	Baseline comparability	Inclusion	Exclusion	Treatment vs control (n)	Treatment vs control (n)
Chokshi et al 40	Acupuncture for symptom management	Children receiving cancer treatment (n = 90)	Differences in age of participants accepting acupuncture compared to those who did not. The ethnicity of patients/parents was significantly associated with acceptance of acupuncture.	Acupuncture naive children/adolescents undergoing treatment for cancer at Columbia University Medical Center	Children who had previous experience with acupuncture and children with planned treatment protocols less than 6 mo	Individualized acupuncture (n = 49) vs CAM modalities (massage, yoga, meditation, nutrition counseling) (n = 41)	NR	Evaluate the use of acupuncture as a component of existing supportive care regimens among children and adolescents undergoing treatment for cancer	6 mo	Acupuncture was more likely than other CAM modalities to be used for gastrointestinal/constitutional symptoms (P > .0001), lack of energy (P = .0001), and pain (P = .001)	NR in publication
Kennedy et al 44	Antioxidants supplements (vitamin E; carotenoid; betacaroten; vitamin A) for inadequate plasma antioxidant concentrations	Children and adolescents with ALL (n = 103)	NA (1 single group)	Children and adolescents 1 to 21 y old with newly diagnosed ALL	NR	Received vitamin E; carotenoid; betacaroten; vitamin A (n = 100)	Timepoint 1: n = 3; timepoint 2: n = 16, timepoint 3: n = 16	Investigate whether patients with sufficient antioxidant intakes while undergoing chemotherapy will have better tolerance to the treatment and experience fewer treatment-related adverse effects than those with insufficient antioxidant intakes	6 mo	Greater vitamin C intake was associated with fewer therapy delays, less toxicity, and fewer days in hospital. Greater vitamin E intake was associated with a lower incidence of infection. Greater betacaroten intake was associated with a decrease in toxicity. Lower intakes of antioxidants were associated with increase in adverse side effects of chemotherapy.	Supported by a grant from the American Institute for Cancer Research, The Lener and Schwartz Family, and the American Cancer Society
Medina Córdoba and Pérez Villa 45	Non-pharmacological measures (touch, play, music) for pain	Children with ALL (n = 35)	NA (1 group only)	Children <18 y old diagnosed with ALL	Children without clinical information on variables of interest; parents who show lack of interest	Touch; encourage children; explaining the procedures; music; play; video games; movies; thought replacement; images; drawing; comparing pain; breathing; massage; muscle contraction; relaxation images; TV; hot and cold applications (n = 35)	No dropout	Evaluate non-pharmacological measures to treat pain for children with ALL	As long as the patient was in the hospital, the average stay was 7 d	Music was the one factor that significantly improved pain (P = .01)	NR in publication

Abbreviations: ALL, acute lymphoblastic leukemia; NR, not reported; NA, not applicable.