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STROBE Checklist
Checklist of elements to be included in reports of observational studies

Section Item Reported on

Recommendation
No Page No
(a) Identify the article as a cohort study in the title or the abstract
Title 1
(b) The summary should be a structured and very informative synthesis of the article, taking into account the points
developed in the checklist that follows

Introduction
Background/ Explain the scientific background and the foundations of the study
2
fundamentals

Objectives 3 State the specific objectives and any pre-specified hypotheses.

Methods
Present the key elements of the study design. State the general objective of the original study, if the article is one.
Study design 4
from various of an ongoing study

Marco 5 Describe the framework, places, and dates, defining the periods for data collection.

(a) Explain the inclusion and exclusion criteria, the source, and the methods for selecting the participants.

For the cases and controls separately, explain the inclusion and exclusion criteria, the source, and the methods of.
selection
Participants 6
Explain the inclusion and exclusion criteria, the source, and the methods of selecting the participants

(b) Describe the periods and the monitoring methods

Define precise diagnostic criteria for the cases and reasons for choosing the controls.

Provide a list and clearly define all variables of interest, indicating which are treated as measures.
Variables of interest 7
of effect or exposure and what are potential predictors, confounding variables, or modifiers

Measures Provide details of the determination methods for each variable of interest
8*
Biases If applicable, describe the comparability of the procedures in the different groups.

2
 Sample size 9 Describe any type of measure used to address potential sources of bias.

Statistical methods 10 Explain how the sample size was determined.

Explain how the quantitative variables were analyzed; for example, what categorizations or groupings were made.
Quantitative variables 11
They chose and why?

Describe all statistical methods, including those for controlling confounding.

(b) Describe any method used to examine subgroups and interactions.

(c) Explain how these values were addressed

Cohort study - If applicable, explain how losses to follow-up and missing data were handled or
Statistical methods 12
lost

Case. Study control—If applicable, explain how matching and missing or lost data were handled.

Cross-sectional study—If applicable, describe the analysis methods, considering the sampling strategy.

(e) Describe any sensitivity analysis

Section Reported
Item
Recommendation in the
No
page No.
Results
(a) For each study phase, report the number of individuals potentially eligible, examined for selection (if so
included in the study, who have completed the follow-up and been analyzed
Participants 13*
(b) Explain the reasons for non-participation at each stage of the process

It is recommended to include a flowchart.

(a) Describe the characteristics of the participants in the study (e.g.; demographic, clinical, or social data and information about the
exposures and potential confounders
Descriptive data 14*
Indicate, for each variable of interest in the study, the completeness of the data

(c) Cohort study—provide the mean, total duration, and follow-up dates

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 Cohort study—Provide the number of event occurrences or time rates

Results data 15*Case-control study - Report the number of cases and controls in each exposure category

Cross-sectional study - Report the number of event occurrences or summary measures for each group in comparison

(a) Provide direct (raw) or unadjusted measures of association, as well as adjusted for confounding variables and their
precision (e.g.; 95% confidence intervals). Clearly state why confounding variables were adjusted for and the justification for their inclusion.
those adjustment variables and others not

Main results 16 (b) For comparisons using categories derived from quantitative variables, indicate the range of values or the median value.
for each group

(c) Transform relative measures into absolute risk differences for significant time periods that do not
extend beyond the range of the data

Other analyses 17 Report on other analyses performed, such as subgroup analysis and sensitivity analysis

Discussion
Key findings 18 Summarize the most important findings related to the hypotheses of the study.

Discuss the study limitations, taking into account potential sources of bias or lack of accuracy, and the problems.
Limitations 19 that could derive from the multiplicity of analyses, presentations, and studied results. Discuss both the direction and the
magnitude of the potential biases

Provide a cautious general interpretation of the results considering the objectives, limitations, and multiplicity of
Interpretation 20
analysis, the results of similar studies and other relevant tests

Generalization 21 Discuss the generalization (external validity) of the study results

Other information
Give the source of funding and the role of sponsors for the present study and, if applicable, for the original study in the
Financing 22
what the present article is based on

Provide separate information for cases and controls in case-control studies and, if applicable, for the exposed and unexposed groups in cohort and cross-sectional studies.
Note: The STROBE list is the most commonly used in conjunction with the article (available for free on the websites of PLoS Medicine at [Link] Annals
of Internal Medicine at [Link] and epidemiology at [Link] Information about the STROBE Initiative is available at [Link]-
[Link].