Yes	No	Unclear	Not applicable
1.Is it clear in the study what is the ‘cause’ and what is the ‘effect’ (i.e., there is no confusion about which variable comes first)?	□	□	□	□
2.Were the participants included in any comparisons similar?	□	□	□	□
3.Were the participants included in any comparisons receiving similar treatment/care, other than the exposure or intervention of interest?	□	□	□	□
4.Was there a control group?	□	□	□	□
5.Were there multiple measurements of the outcome both pre and post the intervention/exposure?	□	□	□	□
6.Was follow up complete and if not, were differences between groups in terms of their follow up adequately described and analyzed?	□	□	□	□
7.Were the outcomes of participants included in any comparisons measured in the same way?	□	□	□	□
8.Were outcomes measured in a reliable way?	□	□	□	□
9.Was appropriate statistical analysis used?	□	□	□	□