Table 2.
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) checklist to assess quality of the cross-sectional studies
| ARHQ Methodology Checklist items for Cross-Sectional study | Zhang Y [39] | De-Lima TR [35] | Zulfiqar T [33] | Kerkadi A [30] | Hu J [99] | De-Jong E [40] | Franceschin MJ [22] | Dalamaria, T [27] | Cheng L [100] | ||
| 1) Define the source of information (survey, record review) | ⊕ | ⊕ | ⊕ | ⊕ | ⊕ | ⊕ | ⊕ | ⊕ | ⊕ | ||
| 2) List inclusion and exclusion criteria for exposed and unexposed subjects (cases and controls) or refer to previous publications | ⊕ | ⊕ | ⊕ | ⊕ | ⊕ | ⊕ | ⊕ | ⊕ | ⊕ | ||
| 3) Indicate time period used for identifying patients | ⊕ | ⊕ | ⊕ | _ | ⊕ | ⊕ | ⊕ | ⊕ | ⊕ | ||
| 4) Indicate whether or not subjects were consecutive if not population-based | ⊕ | – | – | ⊕ | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| 5) Indicate if evaluators of subjective components of study were masked to other aspects of the status of the participants | – | – | – | U | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| 6) Describe any assessments undertaken for quality assurance purposes (e.g., test/retest of primary outcome measurements) | – | – | U | U | U | U | U | U | ⊕ | ||
| 7) Explain any patient exclusions from analysis | ⊕ | ⊕ | ⊕ | _ | ⊕ | – | ⊕ | – | ⊕ | ||
| 8) Describe how confounding was assessed and/or controlled. | ⊕ | ⊕ | ⊕ | ⊕ | ⊕ | ⊕ | – | ⊕ | ⊕ | ||
| 9) If applicable, explain how missing data were handled in the analysis | ⊕ | – | ⊕ | ⊕ | ⊕ | – | ⊕ | ⊕ | ⊕ | ||
| 10) Summarize patient response rates and completeness of data collection | ⊕ | ⊕ | ⊕ | ⊕ | ⊕ | – | ⊕ | ⊕ | ⊕ | ||
| 11) Clarify what follow-up, if any, was expected and the percentage of patients for which incomplete data or follow-up was obtained | – | – | – | ⊕ | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| Total score | 8 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 8 | ||
| ARHQ Methodology Checklist items for Cross-Sectional study | Lopez-GonzalezD [28] | Pabón D [41] | Haidar A [29] | Saha M [31] | Mansoori M [42] | Godakanda I [43] | Talat MA [44] | Piryani MA [44] | Moradi G [45] | ||
| 1) Define the source of information (survey, record review) | ⊕ | ⊕ | ⊕ | ⊕ | ⊕ | ⊕ | ⊕ | ⊕ | ⊕ | ||
| 2) List inclusion and exclusion criteria for exposed and unexposed subjects (cases and controls) or refer to previous publications | ⊕ | ⊕ | ⊕ | ⊕ | ⊕ | ⊕ | ⊕ | ⊕ | ⊕ | ||
| 3) Indicate time period used for identifying patients | ⊕ | ⊕ | ⊕ | ⊕ | ⊕ | ⊕ | ⊕ | ⊕ | ⊕ | ||
| 4) Indicate whether or not subjects were consecutive if not population-based | ⊕ | – | – | – | – | – | ⊕ | – | – | ||
| 5) Indicate if evaluators of subjective components of study were masked to other aspects of the status of the participants | U | U | U | – | – | U | U | U | – | ||
| 6) Describe any assessments undertaken for quality assurance purposes (e.g., test/retest of primary outcome measurements) | U | U | U | – | ⊕ | U | U | U | – | ||
| 7) Explain any patient exclusions from analysis | _ | _ | _ | – | ⊕ | ⊕ | _ | _ | – | ||
| 8) Describe how confounding was assessed and/or controlled. | ⊕ | ⊕ | – | ⊕ | ⊕ | ⊕ | ⊕ | ⊕ | ⊕ | ||
| 9) If applicable, explain how missing data were handled in the analysis | ⊕ | ⊕ | ⊕ | – | – | ⊕ | – | – | – | ||
| 10) Summarize patient response rates and completeness of data collection | ⊕ | – | – | – | ⊕ | – | – | – | – | ||
| 11) Clarify what follow-up, if any, was expected and the percentage of patients for which incomplete data or follow-up was obtained | ⊕ | – | – | – | – | ⊕ | – | – | – | ||
| Total score | 8 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 4 | ||
| ARHQ Methodology Checklist items for Cross-Sectional study | Watharkar A [46] | De- Lucena JMS [47] | Velásquez-Rodríguez CM [48] | De Jong E [40] | Ercan S [49] | Collins AE [34] | Drake KM [50] | Sun Y [32] | Adesina AF [51] | El-Gilany AH [52] | Byun W [53] |
| 1) Define the source of information (survey, record review) | ⊕ | ⊕ | ⊕ | ⊕ | ⊕ | ⊕ | ⊕ | ⊕ | ⊕ | ⊕ | ⊕ |
| 2) List inclusion and exclusion criteria for exposed and unexposed subjects (cases and controls) or refer to previous publications | ⊕ | ⊕ | ⊕ | ⊕ | ⊕ | ⊕ | ⊕ | ⊕ | ⊕ | ⊕ | ⊕ |
| 3) Indicate time period used for identifying patients | ⊕ | ⊕ | ⊕ | ⊕ | ⊕ | ⊕ | ⊕ | ⊕ | ⊕ | ⊕ | ⊕ |
| 4) Indicate whether or not subjects were consecutive if not population-based | – | ⊕ | – | ⊕ | – | – | ⊕ | – | – | ⊕ | ⊕ |
| 5) Indicate if evaluators of subjective components of study were masked to other aspects of the status of the participants | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 6) Describe any assessments undertaken for quality assurance purposes (e.g., test/retest of primary outcome measurements) | – | U | – | U | – | – | – | U | – | ⊕ | ⊕ |
| 7) Explain any patient exclusions from analysis | – | ⊕ | ⊕ | ⊕ | – | – | ⊕ | ⊕ | ⊕ | ⊕ | ⊕ |
| 8) Describe how confounding was assessed and/or controlled. | U | ⊕ | – | ⊕ | U | U | ⊕ | ⊕ | U | ⊕ | ⊕ |
| 9) If applicable, explain how missing data were handled in the analysis | – | – | ⊕ | – | – | – | ⊕ | – | – | ⊕ | ⊕ |
| 10) Summarize patient response rates and completeness of data collection | – | ⊕ | – | ⊕ | – | – | ⊕ | ⊕ | – | ⊕ | ⊕ |
| 11) Clarify what follow-up, if any, was expected and the percentage of patients for which incomplete data or follow-up was obtained | – | – | – | – | – | – | ⊕ | – | – | – | – |
| Total score | 3 | 7 | 5 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 8 | 8 |