Table 1 Assessment of the studies’ quality included according to Cochrane guidelines

Study

Random sequence generation

Allocation concealment

Blinding of participants and personal

Blinding of outcome assessment

Incomplete outcome data

Selective outcome reporting

Other potential threats to validity

General risk of bias

Kanikowska et al. 2019 [58]

U

H

U

H

L

L

H

High

Moghtaderi et al. 2020 [76]

L

U

L

L

L

L

H

Low

Nicol et al. 2020 [47]

L

U

H

L

L

H

L

Moderate

Moszak et al. 2020 [53]

L

U

L

H

L

L

L

Low

Raeisi-Dehkordi et al. 2021 [65]

U

H

L

L

L

L

L

Low

Kruse et al. 2020 [50]

U

U

H

H

L

L

L

Moderate

Chauhan et al. 2020 [73]

H

H

H

H

L

H

H

High

Dus-Zuchowska et al. 2019 [56]

L

U

L

H

L

L

L

Low

Bowen et al. 2018 [45]

L

L

L

U

L

H

L

Low

Atefi et al. 2018 [69]

U

H

H

H

L

H

L

High

Małgorzata et al. 2020 [54]

U

U

L

H

L

L

L

Low

Salar et al. 2015 [67]

U

U

H

H

L

H

L

High

Study

Random sequence generation

Allocation concealment

Blinding of participants and personal

Blinding of outcome assessment

Incomplete outcome data

Selective outcome reporting

Other potential threats to validity

General risk of bias

Azemati et al. 2012 [68]

U

U

H

H

L

L

L

Moderate

Iggman et al. 2011 [47]

U

H

H

H

L

H

L

High

Liu et al. 2016 [14]

U

U

L

L

L

L

H

Low

Baxheinrich et al. 2012 [60]

U

U

H

H

L

L

L

Moderate

Saedi et al. 2017 [71]

U

H

U

H

L

L

L

Moderate

Seppanen-Laakso et al. 1993 [61]

H

H

H

H

L

H

L

High

Öhrvall et al. 2001 [55]

U

U

L

H

L

H

L

Modeate

Jenkins et al. 2014 [54]

U

U

L

L

L

L

H

Low

Södergren et al. 2001 [48]

U

H

L

U

L

H

L

Moderate

Kratz et al. 2002 [51]

U

H

U

H

L

H

L

High

Uusitupa et al.1994 [44]

U

U

U

L

L

H

L

Low

Nydahl et al. 1995 [57]

U

H

H

U

L

H

L

High

Chisholm et al. 2005 [59]

U

U

U

H

L

H

L

Moderate

Noroozi et al. 2009 [72]

U

U

H

U

L

L

L

moderate

Study

Random sequence generation

Allocation concealment

Blinding of participants and personal

Blinding of outcome assessment

Incomplete outcome data

Selective outcome reporting

Other potential threats to validity

General risk of bias

Gustafsson et al. 1994 [62]

U

H

U

H

L

H

L

High

Herrmann et al. 1997 [46]

U

U

L

U

L

H

H

moderate

Wardlaw et al. 1991 [64]

U

U

L

L

L

H

L

Low

Kratz et al. 2002 [51]

U

H

H

H

L

H

L

High

Kruse et al. 2014 [53]

U

H

H

H

L

H

H

High

Bahareh Nikooyeh et.al. 2023 [75]

L

L

L

U

L

L

L

Low