Table 1 Summary characteristics of the sample of trials (n = 75)
Characteristic | Category | n (%) |
|---|---|---|
Study type | Efficacy/superiority | 70 (93.3) |
Equivalence | 4 (5.3) | |
Noninferiority | 1 (1.3) | |
Trial design | Parallel | 54 (72.0) |
Cluster | 14 (18.7) | |
Crossover | 3 (4.0) | |
Split body | 2 (2.7) | |
Factorial | 0 (0) | |
Other | 2 (2.7) | |
Intervention class | Drug | 18 (24.0) |
Communication, organizational, or educational | 12 (16.0) | |
Rehabilitation or psychosocial | 12 (16.0) | |
Device | 11 (14.7) | |
Alternative therapeutic | 7 (9.3) | |
Prevention or screening | 6 (8.0) | |
Vaccine | 3 (4.0) | |
Surgery or radiotherapy | 2 (2.7) | |
Other | 4 (5.3) | |
Control type | Active intervention | 36 (48.0) |
No intervention | 15 (20.0) | |
Placebo | 15 (20.0) | |
Wait-list control | 9 (12.0) | |
Primary outcome category | Physiological | 22 (29.3) |
Behavioral | 16 (21.3) | |
Psychological | 13 (17.3) | |
Biomarker | 12 (16.0) | |
Techniques or training | 5 (6.7) | |
Quality of life | 2 (2.7) | |
Pain | 1 (1.3) | |
Other | 4 (5.3) |