Table 2 Reporting quality of key methodological items

Sequence generation

adequate reporting

23(22%)

10(10%)

2.44[1.09,5.42]

< 0.05

partial reporting

58(54%)

25(25%)

< 0.05

no reporting

26(24%)

64(75%)

< 0.05

*adequate + partial reporting

81(76%)

35(35%)

5.70[3.11,10.42]

< 0.05

Allocation concealment

adequate reporting

6(6%)

3(3%)

1.90[0.46,7.82]

0.89

partial reporting

56(52%)

22(22%)

< 0.05

no reporting

45(42%)

74(75%)

< 0.05

*adequate + partial reporting

62(58%)

25(25%)

4.08 [2.25, 7.39]

< 0.05

Blinding

adequate reporting

24(22%)

22(22%)

1.01[0.52,1.95]

0.97

partial reporting

38(36%)

30(30%)

0.43

no reporting

45(42%)

47(47%)

0.43

*adequate + partial reporting

62(58%)

52(53%)

1.25 [0.72, 2.16]

0.43

Sample size calculation

adequate reporting

28(26%)

13(13%)

2.34[1.14,4.84]

< 0.05

partial reporting

55(52%)

34(34%)

< 0.05

no reporting

24(22%)

52(53%)

< 0.05

*adequate + partial reporting

83(78%)

47(47%)

3.83 [2.10, 6.98]

< 0.05

Incomplete outecome data addressed

adequate reporting

20(19%)

12(12%)

1.67[0.77,3.62]

0.2

partial reporting

32(30%)

22(22%)

0.21

no reporting

55(51%)

65(66%)

< 0.05

*adequate + partial reporting

52(49%)

34(34%)

1.81[1.03,3.17]

< 0.05

Intention-to-treat analysis

adequate reporting

49(46%)

30(30%)

1.94[1.10,3.45]

< 0.05

partial reporting

25(23%)

12(12%)

< 0.05

no reporting

33(31%)

57(58%)

< 0.05

*adequate + partial reporting

74(69%)

42(42%)

3.04 [1.72, 5.39]

< 0.05

Free of selective reporting

adequate reporting

34(32%)

20(20%)

1.84[0.97,3.48]

0.06

partial reporting

23(21%)

23(23%)

0.76

no reporting

50(47%)

56(57%)

0.16

*adequate + partial reporting

57(53%)

43(43%)

1.48[0.86,2.57]

0.16