Table 6.
Results of the confidence rating.
| Outcome | Structure | Comparison | Arms | Within-Study Bias | Reporting Bias | Indirectness | Imprecision | Heterogeneity | Incoherence | Confidence Rating | Reason(s) for Downgrading |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leukocytes (WBC) | Mixed | Beta-carotene:Control | 1 | Some concerns | Low risk | No concerns | Major concerns | No concerns | Major concerns | Very low | Imprecision and Incoherence |
| Control:Lifestyle | 1 | Some concerns | Low risk | No concerns | Major concerns | No concerns | Major concerns | Very low | Imprecision and Incoherence | ||
| Control:Mixed | 2 | Some concerns | Low risk | No concerns | Major concerns | No concerns | Major concerns | Very low | Imprecision and Incoherence | ||
| Control:Omega 3 | 1 | Some concerns | Low risk | No concerns | Major concerns | No concerns | Major concerns | Very low | Imprecision and Incoherence | ||
| Control:Zinc | 2 | Some concerns | Low risk | No concerns | Major concerns | No concerns | Major concerns | Very low | Imprecision and Incoherence | ||
| Glutamine:Protein | 3 | Some concerns | Low risk | No concerns | No concerns | No concerns | Major concerns | Low | Incoherence | ||
| Mixed:Protein | 1 | Some concerns | Low risk | No concerns | Major concerns | No concerns | Major concerns | Very low | Imprecision and Incoherence | ||
| Indirect | Beta-carotene:Glutamine | 0 | Some concerns | Low risk | No concerns | No concerns | No concerns | Major concerns | Low | Incoherence | |
| Beta-carotene:Lifestyle | 0 | Some concerns | Low risk | No concerns | Major concerns | No concerns | Major concerns | Very low | Imprecision and Incoherence | ||
| Beta-carotene:Mixed | 0 | Some concerns | Low risk | No concerns | Major concerns | No concerns | Major concerns | Very low | Imprecision and Incoherence | ||
| Beta-carotene:Omega 3 | 0 | Some concerns | Low risk | No concerns | Major concerns | No concerns | Major concerns | Very low | Imprecision and Incoherence | ||
| Beta-carotene:Protein | 0 | Some concerns | Low risk | No concerns | Major concerns | No concerns | Major concerns | Very low | Imprecision and Incoherence | ||
| Beta-carotene:Zinc | 0 | Some concerns | Low risk | No concerns | Major concerns | No concerns | Major concerns | Very low | Imprecision and Incoherence | ||
| Control:Glutamine | 0 | Some concerns | Low risk | No concerns | No concerns | No concerns | Major concerns | Low | Incoherence | ||
| Control:Protein | 0 | Some concerns | Low risk | No concerns | Major concerns | No concerns | Major concerns | Very low | Imprecision and Incoherence | ||
| Glutamine:Lifestyle | 0 | Some concerns | Low risk | No concerns | No concerns | No concerns | Major concerns | Low | Incoherence | ||
| Glutamine:Mixed | 0 | Some concerns | Low risk | No concerns | No concerns | No concerns | Major concerns | Low | Incoherence | ||
| Glutamine:Omega 3 | 0 | Some concerns | Low risk | No concerns | No concerns | No concerns | Major concerns | Low | Incoherence | ||
| Glutamine:Zinc | 0 | Some concerns | Low risk | No concerns | No concerns | No concerns | Major concerns | Low | Incoherence | ||
| Lifestyle:Mixed | 0 | Some concerns | Low risk | No concerns | Major concerns | No concerns | Major concerns | Very low | Imprecision and Incoherence | ||
| Lifestyle:Omega 3 | 0 | Some concerns | Low risk | No concerns | Major concerns | No concerns | Major concerns | Very low | Imprecision and Incoherence | ||
| Lifestyle:Protein | 0 | Some concerns | Low risk | No concerns | Major concerns | No concerns | Major concerns | Very low | Imprecision and Incoherence | ||
| Lifestyle:Zinc | 0 | Some concerns | Low risk | No concerns | Major concerns | No concerns | Major concerns | Very low | Imprecision and Incoherence | ||
| Mixed:Omega 3 | 0 | Some concerns | Low risk | No concerns | Major concerns | No concerns | Major concerns | Very low | Imprecision and Incoherence | ||
| Mixed:Zinc | 0 | Some concerns | Low risk | No concerns | Major concerns | No concerns | Major concerns | Very low | Imprecision and Incoherence | ||
| Omega 3:Protein | 0 | Some concerns | Low risk | No concerns | Major concerns | No concerns | Major concerns | Very low | Imprecision and Incoherence | ||
| Omega 3:Zinc | 0 | Some concerns | Low risk | No concerns | Major concerns | No concerns | Major concerns | Very low | Imprecision and Incoherence | ||
| Protein:Zinc | 0 | Some concerns | Low risk | No concerns | Major concerns | No concerns | Major concerns | Very low | Imprecision and Incoherence | ||
| Lymphocyte | Mixed | Beta-carotene:Control | 1 | Some concerns | Low risk | No concerns | Major concerns | No concerns | Major concerns | Very low | Imprecision and Incoherence |
| Control:Lifestyle | 1 | Some concerns | Low risk | No concerns | Major concerns | No concerns | Major concerns | Very low | Imprecision and Incoherence | ||
| Control:Mixed | 2 | Some concerns | Low risk | No concerns | Major concerns | No concerns | Major concerns | Very low | Imprecision and Incoherence | ||
| Control:Zinc | 2 | Some concerns | Low risk | No concerns | Major concerns | No concerns | Major concerns | Very low | Imprecision and Incoherence | ||
| Glutamine:Protein | 3 | Some concerns | Low risk | No concerns | Major concerns | No concerns | Major concerns | Very low | Imprecision and Incoherence | ||
| Mixed:Protein | 1 | Some concerns | Low risk | No concerns | Major concerns | No concerns | Major concerns | Very low | Imprecision and Incoherence | ||
| Indirect | Beta-carotene:Glutamine | 0 | Some concerns | Low risk | No concerns | Major concerns | No concerns | Major concerns | Very low | Imprecision and Incoherence | |
| Beta-carotene:Lifestyle | 0 | Some concerns | Low risk | No concerns | Major concerns | No concerns | Major concerns | Very low | Imprecision and Incoherence | ||
| Beta-carotene:Mixed | 0 | Some concerns | Low risk | No concerns | Major concerns | No concerns | Major concerns | Very low | Imprecision and Incoherence | ||
| Beta-carotene:Protein | 0 | Some concerns | Low risk | No concerns | Major concerns | No concerns | Major concerns | Very low | Imprecision and Incoherence | ||
| Beta-carotene:Zinc | 0 | Some concerns | Low risk | No concerns | Major concerns | No concerns | Major concerns | Very low | Imprecision and Incoherence | ||
| Control:Glutamine | 0 | Some concerns | Low risk | No concerns | Major concerns | No concerns | Major concerns | Very low | Imprecision and Incoherence | ||
| Control:Protein | 0 | Some concerns | Low risk | No concerns | Major concerns | No concerns | Major concerns | Very low | Imprecision and Incoherence | ||
| Glutamine:Lifestyle | 0 | Some concerns | Low risk | No concerns | Major concerns | No concerns | Major concerns | Very low | Imprecision and Incoherence | ||
| Glutamine:Mixed | 0 | Some concerns | Low risk | No concerns | Major concerns | No concerns | Major concerns | Very low | Imprecision and Incoherence | ||
| Glutamine:Zinc | 0 | Some concerns | Low risk | No concerns | Major concerns | No concerns | Major concerns | Very low | Imprecision and Incoherence | ||
| Lifestyle:Mixed | 0 | Some concerns | Low risk | No concerns | Major concerns | No concerns | Major concerns | Very low | Imprecision and Incoherence | ||
| Lifestyle:Protein | 0 | Some concerns | Low risk | No concerns | Major concerns | No concerns | Major concerns | Very low | Imprecision and Incoherence | ||
| Lifestyle:Zinc | 0 | Some concerns | Low risk | No concerns | Major concerns | No concerns | Major concerns | Very low | Imprecision and Incoherence | ||
| Mixed:Zinc | 0 | Some concerns | Low risk | No concerns | Major concerns | No concerns | Major concerns | Very low | Imprecision and Incoherence | ||
| Protein:Zinc | 0 | Some concerns | Low risk | No concerns | Major concerns | No concerns | Major concerns | Very low | Imprecision and Incoherence | ||
| CD4/CD8 | Mixed | Beta-carotene:Control | 1 | Some concerns | Low risk | No concerns | Major concerns | No concerns | Major concerns | Very low | Imprecision and Incoherence |
| Control:Lifestyle | 1 | Some concerns | Low risk | No concerns | Major concerns | No concerns | Major concerns | Very low | Imprecision and Incoherence | ||
| Control:Mixed | 3 | Some concerns | Low risk | No concerns | No concerns | Major concerns | Major concerns | Very low | Heterogeneity and Incoherence | ||
| Control:Zinc | 2 | Some concerns | Low risk | No concerns | Major concerns | No concerns | Major concerns | Very low | Imprecision and Incoherence | ||
| Mixed:Protein | 1 | Major concerns | Low risk | No concerns | Major concerns | No concerns | Major concerns | Very low | Imprecision and Incoherence | ||
| Indirect | Beta-carotene:Lifestyle | 0 | Some concerns | Low risk | No concerns | Major concerns | No concerns | Major concerns | Very low | Imprecision and Incoherence | |
| Beta-carotene:Mixed | 0 | Some concerns | Low risk | No concerns | No concerns | Major concerns | Major concerns | Very low | Heterogeneity and Incoherence | ||
| Beta-carotene:Protein | 0 | Some concerns | Low risk | No concerns | Major concerns | No concerns | Major concerns | Very low | Imprecision and Incoherence | ||
| Beta-carotene:Zinc | 0 | Some concerns | Low risk | No concerns | Major concerns | No concerns | Major concerns | Very low | Imprecision and Incoherence | ||
| Control:Protein | 0 | Major concerns | Low risk | No concerns | Major concerns | No concerns | Major concerns | Very low | Imprecision and Incoherence | ||
| Lifestyle:Mixed | 0 | Some concerns | Low risk | No concerns | No concerns | Major concerns | Major concerns | Very low | Heterogeneity and Incoherence | ||
| Lifestyle:Protein | 0 | Some concerns | Low risk | No concerns | Major concerns | No concerns | Major concerns | Very low | Imprecision and Incoherence | ||
| Lifestyle:Zinc | 0 | Some concerns | Low risk | No concerns | Major concerns | No concerns | Major concerns | Very low | Imprecision and Incoherence | ||
| Mixed:Zinc | 0 | Some concerns | Low risk | No concerns | Major concerns | No concerns | Major concerns | Very low | Imprecision and Incoherence | ||
| Protein:Zinc | 0 | Some concerns | Low risk | No concerns | Major concerns | No concerns | Major concerns | Low | Imprecision and Incoherence | ||
| Neutrophil | Mixed | Control:Lifestyle | 1 | Some concerns | Low risk | No concerns | None | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear |
| Control:Zinc | 2 | Some concerns | Low risk | No concerns | None | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear | ||
| Indirect | Lifestyle:Zinc | 0 | Some concerns | Low risk | No concerns | None | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear |