Table 4 Critical appraisal of the included quasi-experimental studies (n = 5)
Appraisal questions | Moran, Bramwell, Dykes, & Dinwoodie, 2000 [26] | Law, Dunn, Wallace, & Inch, 2007 [27] | Zakarija-Grkovic et al., 2012 [30] | Hsiu-Ho Wang & Chieh-Yi Ku, 2012 [28] | Al-Nuaimi, Ali, & Ali, 2019 [29] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. 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)? | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
2. Were the participants included in any comparisons similar? | Y | Y | Y | Y | N/unclear |
3. Were the participants included in any comparisons receiving similar treatment/care, other than the exposure or intervention of interest? | N/unclear | N | N/unclear | N | Y |
4. Was there a control group? | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
5. Were there multiple measurements of the outcome both pre and post the intervention/exposure? | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
6. Was follow up complete and if not, were differences between groups in terms of their follow up adequately described and analyzed? | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
7. Were the outcomes of participants included in any comparisons measured in the same way? | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
8. Were outcomes measured in a reliable way? | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
9. Was appropriate statistical analysis used? | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |