| Table 4. Assessment of the confidence in the body of evidence (certainty of evidence). | ||||
| Study | Initial Confidence | Decreasing | Increasing | Final Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alexander et al., 1996 | Low | Yes, 2 | Yes, 2 | low |
| Alexander et al., 1998 | Low | Yes, 1 | Yes, 2 | Moderate |
| Bonde et al., 2014 | Low | Yes, 1 | Yes, 3 | moderate |
| Eibensteiner et al., 2005 | Low | Yes, 1 | Yes, 1 | low |
| Farag et al., 2024 | Low | Yes, 1 | Yes, 2 | Moderate |
| Hovatta et al., 1998 | Low | Yes, 1 | Yes, 2 | Moderate |
| Hsu et al., 2009 | Low | Yes, 1 | Yes, 2 | Moderate |
| Kasperczyk et al., 2008 | Moderate | Yes, 1 | Yes, 2 | Moderate |
| Kuo et al., 1997 | Moderate | Yes, 2 | Yes, 1 | Low |
| Mahmoud et al., 2005 | Moderate | Yes, 1 | Yes, 1 | Moderate |
| Moran-Martinez et al., 2013 | Moderate | Yes, 1 | Yes, 1 | Moderate |
| Naha and Chowdhury, 2006 | Moderate | N0 | Yes, 1 | High |
| Naha and Manna, 2007 | Moderate | N0 | Yes, 1 | High |
| Naha et al., 2005 | Moderate | N0 | Yes , 1 | High |
| Saaramen et al., 1987 | Low | NO | no | low |
| Telisman et al., 2000 | Moderate | Yes , 1 | Yes , 2 | Moderate |
| Wijesekara et al., 2020 | Moderate | Yes , 1 | NO | Moderate |