Table 1. JBI critical appraisal checklist for RCTs, quasi-RCTs and cohort studies.
| Critical appraisal item content | Paper | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| Was true randomization used for assignment of participants to treatment groups? | Y | N | n.a | n.a | n.a |
| Was allocation to treatment groups concealed? Concealing the allocation sequence from those assigning participants to intervention groups | U | Y | n.a | n.a | n.a |
| Were participants blind to treatment assignment? | N | Y | n.a | n.a | n.a |
| Were those delivering treatment blind to treatment assignment? | N | N | n.a | n.a | n.a |
| Were outcomes assessors blind to treatment assignment? | N | Y | n.a | n.a | n.a |
| Was there a control group? | n.a | n.a | n.a | Y | Y |
| Were the exposures measured similarly to assign people to both exposed and unexposed groups? | n.a | n.a | Y | n.a | n.a |
| Were treatment groups similar at baseline? | Y | Y | n.a | n.a | n.a |
| Were the participants included in any comparisons similar? | n.a | n.a | n.a | N | N |
| Were the two groups similar and recruited from the same population? | n.a | n.a | Y | n.a | n.a |
| Were treatment groups treated identically other than the intervention of interest? OR Were the participants included in any comparisons receiving similar treatment/care, other than the exposure or intervention of interest? | Y | Y | n.a | U | U |
| 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)? | n.a | n.a | n.a | Y | Y |
| Was the exposure measured in a valid and reliable way? | n.a | n.a | Y | n.a | n.a |
| Were the groups/participants free of the outcome at the start of the study (or at the moment of exposure)? | n.a | n.a | U | n.a | n.a |
| Was follow up complete and if not, were differences between groups in terms of their follow up adequately described and analyzed? OR Was follow up completed and if not, were the reasons to loss to follow up described and explored? | Y | Y | N | Y | N |
| Were outcomes measured in the same way for treatment groups? OR Were outcomes of participants included in any comparisons measured in the same way? | Y | Y | n.a | Y | Y |
| Were outcomes measured in a reliable way? | U | N | Y | Y | N |
| Was the follow up time reported and sufficient to be long enough for outcomes to occur? | n.a | n.a | Y | n.a | n.a |
| Were participants analyzed in the groups to which they were randomized? | Y | Y | n.a | n.a | n.a |
| Were there multiple measurements of the outcome both pre and post the intervention/exposure? | n.a | n.a | n.a | N | N |
| Was appropriate statistical analysis used? | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| Was the trial design appropriate, and any deviations from the standard RCT design (individual randomization, parallel groups) accounted for in the conduct and analysis of the trial? | Y | Y | n.a | n.a | n.a |
| Were confounding factors identified? | n.a | n.a | Y | n.a | n.a |
| Were strategies to deal with confounding factors stated? | n.a | n.a | Y | n.a | n.a |
| Were strategies to address incomplete follow up utilized? | n.a | n.a | N | n.a | n.a |
Note: Paper 1 = Chen et al., 2017; Paper 2 = Frögéli et al., 2020; Paper 3 = Kowtha, 2011; Paper 4 = Spector et al., 2015; Paper 5 = Horii et al. 2021; Y = Yes, N = No, U = Unsure; n.a = not applicable.