Table 1 Characteristics of the included articles
Item | Total | Western countries | Eastern countries |
|---|---|---|---|
n (%) = 96 | n (%) = 72 | n (%) = 24 | |
Study registration | |||
After the trial began | 76 (79.2) | 58 (80.6) | 18 (75.0) |
Before the trial began | 20 (20.8) | 14 (19.4) | 6 (25.0) |
Study design | |||
Parallel | 92 (95.8) | 68 (94.4) | 24 (100.0) |
Crossover | 4 (4.2) | 4 (5.6) | 0 (0.0) |
Study center | |||
Single | 55 (57.3) | 40 (55.6) | 15 (62.5) |
Multiple | 41 (42.7) | 32 (44.4) | 9 (37.5) |
Number of arms | |||
Two | 59 (61.5) | 46 (63.9) | 13 (54.2) |
Three | 29 (30.2) | 22 (30.6) | 7 (29.2) |
Four | 8 (8.3) | 4 (5.5) | 4 (16.7) |
Funding source | |||
No funding | 14 (14.6) | 13 (18.1) | 1 (4.2) |
University | 37 (38.5) | 25 (34.7) | 12 (50.0) |
Hospital | 13 (13.5) | 7 (9.7) | 6 (25.0) |
Government | 27 (28.1) | 23 (31.9) | 4 (16.7) |
Private non-profit | 1 (1.0) | 1 (1.4) | 0 (0.0) |
Other source | 4 (4.2) | 3 (4.2) | 1 (4.2) |
Type of acupuncture | |||
Manual acupuncture | 80 (83.3) | 64 (88.9) | 16 (66.7) |
Electro-acupuncture | 16 (16.7) | 8 (11.1) | 8 (33.3) |
Intervention | |||
Acupuncture used alone | 70 (72.9) | 51 (70.8) | 19 (79.2) |
Acupuncture combined with other interventions* | 26 (27.1) | 21 (29.2) | 5 (20.8) |
Control† | |||
Placebo/sham-acupuncture# | 51 (53.1) | 37 (51.4) | 14 (58.3) |
Western medicine | 25 (26.0) | 18 (25.0) | 7 (29.2) |
No intervention | 9 (9.4) | 7 (9.7) | 2 (8.3) |
Non-pharmaceutical interventions | 9 (9.4) | 9 (12.5) | 0 (0.0) |
Conventional therapy | 7 (7.3) | 7 (9.7) | 0 (0.0) |
Acupuncture | 6 (6.3) | 4 (5.6) | 2 (8.3) |
Waiting list | 4 (4.2) | 3 (4.2) | 1 (4.2) |
Chinese herbal medicine | 1 (1.0) | 0 (0.0) | 1 (4.2) |
Specified primary outcome | 71 (74.0) | 50 (69.4) | 21 (87.5) |
Specified secondary outcome | 60 (62.5) | 42 (58.3) | 18 (75.0) |
Safety come | 38 (39.6) | 24 (33.3) | 12 (50.0) |
Health-economic outcome | 5 (5.2) | 5 (6.9) | 0 (0.0) |
Random sequence generation | |||
Random number table | 4 (4.2) | 4 (5.6) | 0 (0.0) |
Computer random number generator | 69 (71.9) | 46 (63.9) | 23 (95.8) |
Minimization | 2 (2.1) | 2 (2.8) | 0 (0.0) |
Not reported | 21 (21.9) | 20 (27.8) | 1 (4.2) |
Allocation concealment | |||
Opaque sealed envelope | 23 (24.0) | 19 (26.4) | 4 (16.7) |
Central allocation | 28 (29.2) | 24 (33.3) | 4 (16.7) |
Sealed/opaque envelope | 7 (7.3) | 5 (7.0) | 2 (8.3) |
Not reported | 38 (39.6) | 24 (33.3) | 14 (58.3) |
Blinding | |||
Single-blinded | 37 (38.5) | 26 (36.1) | 11 (45.8) |
Blinding to participants | 21 (21.9) | 16 (22.2) | 5 (20.8) |
Blinding to personnel | 3 (3.1) | 2 (2.8) | 1 (4.2) |
Blinding to outcome assessor | 13 (13.5) | 8 (11.1) | 5 (20.8) |
Double-blinded | 28 (29.2) | 19 (26.4) | 9 (37.5) |
Blinding to participants and personnel | 10 (10.4) | 9 (12.5) | 1 (4.2) |
Blinding to participants and outcome assessors | 18 (18.8) | 10 (13.9) | 8 (33.3) |
Blinding to personnel and outcome assessors | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) |
Triple-blinded | 4 (4.2) | 3 (4.2) | 1 (4.2) |
Open | 15 (15.6) | 11 (15.3) | 4 (16.7) |
Not reported | 12 (12.5) | 11 (15.3) | 1 (4.2) |
Incomplete outcome reporting | 33 (34.4) | 28 (38.9) | 5 (20.8) |
Sample size estimation | 34 (35.4) | 22 (30.6) | 12 (50.0) |
Explicit inclusion criteria | 94 (97.9) | 71 (98.6) | 23 (95.8) |
Explicit exclusion criteria | 82 (85.4) | 60 (83.3) | 22 (91.7) |