Table 2

Methodological quality scores of 16 items for studies regarding risk factors*

Author12345678910111213141516Summary score
Frost et al 32 +++++?+++−−−−+++†11
Svendsen et al 33 +++++++++−+−?+++‡13
Svendsen et al 34 +++++++++−+−++++§14
Miranda et al 6 +++++−++?−+−−+++¶11
Sutinen et al 27 −+−+−−++++++−+++**11
Silverstein et al 35 +++++++++−+−?+++††13
Nordander et al 36 +?+−−+++−−+−−+−−7
Seidler et al 21 +−+++−+++−+−−+++‡‡11
Bodin et al 28 +−+++−++?+++++++§§13
Grzywacz et al 22 +++−−−++?−+−−+++¶¶9
Herin et al 29 +++−−−++−+++?+++***11
Bugajska et al 30 ++++−?++?+?+−+++†††11
Svendsen et al 31 +++++−++++++?+++‡‡‡14
Dalbøge et al 2 ++++++++++++++++§§§16
Nordander et al 37 +??+++++?−+−−+++¶¶¶10
Total item score141113121061515861363151414

  • *Criteria and scoring options for quality score for these 16 items are reported in online supplementary appendix 2.

  • †Adjusted for age, sex, body mass index, low pressure pain threshold, arthritis, shoulder trauma, sporting and leisure activities.

  • ‡Adjusted for age.

  • §Adjusted for age, smoking.

  • ¶Adjusted for body mass index, smoking, sporting activities, length of education, family status, region, language distribution, comorbidity, exposure categories in analyses.

  • **Adjusted for age.

  • ††Adjusted for age, sex, body mass index.

  • ‡‡Adjusted for age, region, sporting activities, exposure categories in analyses.

  • §§Adjusted for age, sex (separately analysed), exposure categories in analyses.

  • ¶¶Adjusted for age, sex, indigenous language, exposure categories in analyses.

  • ***Adjusted for age, sex, social class, body mass index, sporting activities.

  • †††Adjusted for age, sex, working hours, repetitive work, force.

  • ‡‡‡Adjusted for age, sex, body mass index, smoking status, exposure categories in analyses.

  • §§§Adjusted for age, sex, region, calendar year at start follow-up.

  • ¶¶¶Adjusted for age, sex, employment time, exposure categories in analyses.