Table 5 Systematic review quality assessment items and scoring criteria
Item No. | Quality assessment item | Score allocation |
|---|---|---|
[1] | Sample representativeness of the population | Response rate ≥ 60% or sample shown to be representative of the population • Yes = 1.0 • No = 0.0 |
[2] | Study design | • Natural experimental = 1.0 • Observational = 0.5 |
[3] | Exposure variability (study areas selected to maximize the variability in the exposure variables) | Recruitment stratified by key built environmental attributes • Yes = 1.0 • No = 0.0 |
[4] | Adjustment for individual socio-demographic covariates (age, sex, education or similar) | • Yes = 1.0 • No = 0.0 |
[5] | Adjustment for residential self-selection | • Directly adjusted = 1.0 • Accounted by alternative approaches = 0.5 • Not accounted = 0.0 |
[6] | Analytical approach accounted for area-level clustering (if appropriate) | • Yes = 1/3 • No = 0.0 |
[7] | Appropriate presentation of analysis results (i.e., formal testing of moderators, if applicable; presentation of point estimates and 95% confidence intervals, standard errors and/or p-values) | • Yes = 1/3 • No = 0.0 |
[8] | Follow-up duration | • 5 + years = 1.0 • 2 to 5 years = 0.5 • < 2 years = 0.0 |
[9] | Number of data collection time points | • 3 + waves = 1.0 • 2 waves & health registries = 0.5 |
[10] | Participant retention rate | • Retention rate ≥ 80% or drop-outs are comparable with follow-up participants = 1.0 • 50% ≤ retention rate < 80% = 0.5 • Retention rate < 50% or drop-outs are non-comparable with follow-up participants = 0.0 |
[11] | Appropriate longitudinal data analysis | • Yes = 1/3 • No = 0.0 |
[12] | Measurement of built environment attributes (appropriate geographical unit and size to capture participants’ neighbourhood for objective measures) | Objectively measured built environment: • Street-network buffer = 1.0 • Straight-line (crow-fly) buffer or smaller administrative units = 0.5 • Larger administrative units = 0.0 Perceived built environment: Measured using validated survey instruments? • Yes = 1.0 • No = 0.0 |
[13] | Measurement of outcome (objectively measured vs. self-reported) | • Objective = 1.0 • Self-reported = 0.5 |
[14] | Temporal match of exposure and outcome measures | • Multiple time-points exposure measures concurrent with outcome measures = 1.0 • Single time-point exposure measure (within the follow-up period) = 0.5 • Single time-point exposure measure (outside of the follow-up period) = 0.0 |