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Table 2 Assessment of evidence for the risk of studied outcomes based on Grades of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation framework (GRADE)

From: Occupational risk factors for meniscal lesions: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Risk

Quality of study limitations: ↓

Indirectness of evidence: ↓

Inconsistency: ↓

Imprecision

range confidence interval effect size > 2.0: ↓

Publication bias

yes: ↓

Effect estimate

> 2.0: ↑

> 5.0: ↑↑

Dose-response effect: ↑

Residual confounding: ↑

Overall certainty (high, moderate, low)

Kneeling

yes ↓a

no (−)

no (−)

no (−)

1.66–2.77

no (−)b

yes ↑

2.14

no (−)

no (−)

moderate

Squatting > 1 h per day

yes ↓a

no (−)

no (−)

no (−)

1.34–3.03

no (−)

yes ↑

2.01

no (−)

no (−)

moderate

Standing or walking > 2 h per day

yes ↓a

no (−)

no (−)

no (−)

0.91–2.05

no (−)

no (−)

1.37

no (−)

no (−)

low

Walking > 2 miles per day

yes ↓a

no (−)

no (−)

no (−)

0.92–1.97

no (−)

no (−)

1.35

no (−)

no (−)

low

Risk of climbing > 30 flights of stairs per day

yes ↓a

no (−)

no (−)

no (−)

1.58–3.30

no (−)

yes ↑

2.28

no (−)

no (−)

moderate

Risk of lifting and carrying ≥ 10 kg

no (−)c

no (−)

no (−)

no (−)

1.35–1.96

no (−)

no (−)

1.63

no (−)

no (−)

moderate

Risk of lifting and carrying ≥ 25 kg

yes ↓a

no (−)

no (−)

no (−)

1.08–2.24

no (−)

no (−)

1.56

no (−)

no (−)

low

Risk of playing football

yes ↓a

no (−)

no (−)

yes ↓

3.24–8.41

no (−)

yes ↑↑

5.24

no (−)

no (−)

moderate

Risk of mining

yes ↓a

no (−)

no (−)

yes ↓

2.16–12.69

no (−)

yes ↑↑

5.23

no (−)

no (−)

moderate

Risk of floor layers

yes ↓a

no (−)

no (−)

no (−)

1.43–2.78

no (−)

no (−)

1.99

no (−)

no (−)

low

  1. a All studies had a high risk of bias
  2. b Egger’s test p = 0.04. However, Nauwald et al. 1986 is the reason due to its wide confidence intervals due to the zero for the comparison group
  3. c 2/3 studies had a high risk of bias, and high risk of bias studied increased the RR (High risk RR = 1.83; 95% CI 1.28–2.62; Low risk RR = 1.56; 95% CI 1.26–1.93), but: low risk of bias studies was statistically significant