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Table 3 General characteristics of the included randomized controlled trial reports

From: Avoidable waste related to inadequate methods and incomplete reporting of interventions: a systematic review of randomized trials performed in Sub-Saharan Africa

Characteristics

N = 121

Trial location

 Sub-Saharan countries only

104 (85.9)

  • South Africa

20 (19.2)

  • Nigeria

12 (11.5)

  • Tanzania

10 (9.6)

  • Kenya

8 (7.6)

  • Uganda

8 (7.6)

  • Malawi

6 (5.7)

  • Rwanda

4 (3.8)

  • Ethiopia

3 (2.8)

 Several Sub-Saharan countries

5 (4.1)

 Sub-Saharan African countries and high-income countries (HICs) or other countries (not HICs)

12 (8.9)

Medical area

 Malaria

25 (20.6)

 HIV/AIDS

24 (19.9)

 Tuberculosis

4 (3.3)

 Diarrheal diseases

3 (2.4)

 Preterm birth complications

2 (1.6)

 Other diseases

63 (52.2)

Study design

 Parallel groups

97 (80.1)

 Clusters

19 (15.8)

 Factorial design

3 (2.4)

 Cross-over

2 (1.7)

Experimental intervention

 Pharmacological (drugs and nutritional supplements)

74 (61.1)

 Nonpharmacological

47 (38.9)

  • Participative interventions

40 (85.1)

  • Devices

3 (6.3)

  • Surgical procedures

1 (2.3)

  • Therapeutic strategies

3 (6.3)

Comparator

 Active treatment

43 (35.5)

 Usual care

32 (26.4)

 Placebo

24 (19.9)

 Other

22 (18.2)

Sample size (median [IQR])

346 [160–932]

  1. Data are number. (%) unless indicated. IQR interquartile range