The Humanitarian Health Evidence Review

Data analysis was conducted for each contextual factor separately, with findings organised in relation to the key issues of quantity and quality of the evidence base.

As noted above, the quantitative studies selected at Stage Five were arranged into the three main categories of strength of evidence (A, B, C). The quality of the quantitative evidence on contextual factors was also assessed using the STROBE standards for observational studies (see Table 2 in section 3.1.6) (as no clinical trials will have been conducted on these contextual factors). The quality assessment of qualitative studies on contextual factors was conducted using an adapted version of the RATS guidelines for qualitative research review.[1] The key quality criteria of RATS are shown in Table 5.

The quality review of the qualitative studies was also graded based upon their overall quality. This grading is shown in Table 6.

[1] Clark JP., How to peer review a qualitative manuscript, in Peer Review in Health Sciences, Godlee F and Jefferson T, Editors. 2003, BMJ Books: London. p. 219-235.