Table 1 Results from quality assessment of all included papers (n = 10) on the EAI
| Reference | Kulig 26 | Rabbito 28 | Neville 22 | Houck 24 | Chimenti 25 | Neville 23 | Kulig 32 | Houck 30 | Tome 31 | Houck 29 |
Studies scoring “yes” (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q1. | Hypothesis/aim/ objective clearly described | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 100 |
| Q2. | Main outcomes clearly described | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 100 |
| Q3. | Reported study design | 1 | 1 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 80 |
| Q4. | Source of participant population clearly described | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 |
| Q5. | Reported eligibility criteria | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 100 |
| Q6. | Characteristics of study participants described | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 100 |
| Q7. | Important covariates and confounders described | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 100 |
| Q8. | Statistical methods clearly described | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 100 |
| Q9. | Main findings of the study clearly described | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 100 |
| Q10. | Provides estimates of the random variability in the data | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 100 |
| Q11. | Sample size calculations | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 |
| Q12. | Comparability of case/control groups | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 40 |
| Q13. | Recruitment period for case/control groups | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Q14. | Blinding of assessors | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Q15. | Reliability of outcome measures | 1 | 0.5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0 | 30 |
| Q16. | Validity of outcome measures | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| Q17. | Standardised assessment | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 100 |
| Q18. | Assessment period of case/control groups | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Q19. | History of disease/symptoms collected and included in analysis | 0 | 0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Q20. | Adjusted for covariates | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0.5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 90 |
| Q21. | Reported data for subgroups | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 |
| Q22. | Generalibility of results to other populations | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Overall quality score (range 0 to 1) | 0.70 | 0.68 | 0.66 | 0.61 | 0.57 | 0.57 | 0.55 | 0.52 | 0.52 | 0.50 | 0.59 | |