Table 4 Critical review criteria (results and interpretation) and results of three reviewed surveys
Survey (Ref) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 (14) | 2 (15) | 3 (16) | ||
Criteria | ||||
Results | ||||
Participants | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | a) Report number of individuals surveyed |
✓ | ✓ | ✓ | b) Report non-participation (refusals) | |
✓ | ✓ | ✓ | c) Report number of households surveyed | |
✓ | ✓ | ✓ | d) Give characteristics of survey participants (e.g. demographic, clinical, social) | |
✗ | ✗ | ✓ | e) Indicate number of participants with missing data for each variable of interest | |
Main Results | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Summarize key results with reference to survey objectives |
✓ | ✓ | ✓ | a) Provide estimates and their precision (eg, 95% confidence interval with design effect if cluster based sampling). | |
✗ | ✗ | ✗ | b) Report causes of death | |
✗ | ✗ | ✗ | c) Report absolute numbers of deaths | |
✗ | ✗ | ✗ | d) Report absolute numbers of other variables of interest | |
Limitations | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | Discuss limitations of the survey, taking into account sources of potential bias or imprecision. Discuss both direction and magnitude of any potential bias |
Interpretation | ||||
Interpretation | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Give an overall interpretation of results considering objectives, limitations, results from similar surveys, and other sources of information |
Generalisability | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | Discuss the generalisability (external validity) of the study results |
Funding | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | State the funding source for the survey |
Conflict of interest statement | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | Provide statement concerning conflict of interests and if none, state this. |
Follow-up | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | State to whom these results will be provided |
Recommendations | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Provide recommendations on a course(s) of action based on interpretation of findings |