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Table 1 Quality assessment of the pooled estimates of complementary feeding intervention on child growth:

From: Impact of maternal education about complementary feeding and provision of complementary foods on child growth in developing countries

Quality Assessment

Summary of findings

    

Generalizability

Pooled Effect

No. of studies (ref)

Design

Limitations

Consistency

Generalizability to Population of Interest

Generalizability to intervention of Interest

Mean difference ( 95 % CI)

Effect of provision of complementary food (± education) on weight gain (kg): Quality of evidence: Moderate

11[25, 26, 28–30, 33, 34, 36–38, 41]

RCT/cRCT/quasi experimental

Results are highly inflated by study by Obatolu et al. [29]. This study is also the major contributor to heterogeneity of the pooled estimate.

Heterogeneity 92 %. Random effect models used.

All the studies from developing countries

Provision of appropriate complementary food to children 6-24 months of age

0.25 (0.07-0.44) kg

Effect of provision of complementary food (± education) on height gain (cm): Quality of evidence Moderate

11[25, 26, 28–30, 33, 34, 36–38, 41]

RCT//quasi experimental

Results are highly inflated by study by Obatolu et al. [29]. This study is also the major contributor to heterogeneity of the pooled estimate.

Heterogeneity 80 %. Random effect models used.

All the studies from developing countries

Provision of appropriate complementary food to children 6-24 months of age

0.54 (0.16-0.93) cm

Effect of education of mother about complementary feeding on weight gain (kg): Quality of evidence: Moderate

8[26, 27, 31, 32, 35, 37, 39, 40]

RCT/quasi experimental

Some of the included studies were not randomized controlled trials and it was not possible to blind the intervention in most of the studies. One of the major contributor to summary estimate and heterogeneity was study by Guldan et al. [39]. This study include mother of neonates

Heterogeneity 92 %. Random effect models used

All the studies from developing countries

Educational messages emphasized on continuity of breastfeeding, timing and frequency of complementary food, counseling on preparation of suitable food based on available local food

0.30 (0.04, 0.55)

Effect of education of mother about complementary feeding on height gain (cm): Quality of evidence: Moderate

7[26, 27, 31, 32, 35, 37, 39]

RCT/quasi experimental

Some of the included studies were not randomized controlled trials and blinding assessment was not possible in most of the studies. Results for pooled estimates were not statistical significant. One of the major contributor to summary estimate and heterogeneity was study by Guldan et al. [39]. This study include mother of neonates

Heterogeneity 88 %. Random effect models used

All the studies from developing countries

Educational messages emphasized on continuity of breastfeeding, timing and frequency of complementary food, counseling on preparation of suitable food based on available local food

0.49 (-0.00-0.99)