Analyses focused on items considered highly or moderately comparable; items used in these analyses are compared in Additional file 1.
Mean annual LST (MALST) was moderately comparable to mean annual Ta (MAAT), and both were lower than mean annual GST (MAGST).
In addition, we have employed manual computer-assisted video analysis as well as introduced an objective and reproducible algorithm for the analysis of capillary microscopy videos, (III) yielding moderately comparable results.
Nevertheless, correlation studies clearly showed that globin reduction by unmasking several hundred genes in whole blood generates a gene expression profile that is moderately comparable to the expression profile of PBMCs.
Characteristics below the line-break are moderately comparable across the two surveys.
For questionnaire items that were only moderately comparable, the nature of the observed relationships did not differ materially between the two studies, although many ORs differed significantly.
With regard to the sample size, we chose a Hazard Ratio of 2, which is not uncommon for studies in (moderately) comparable populations.
The ten exposure-outcome relationships where the exposure and/or outcome variables were only moderately comparable across the two studies are presented in Figure 2, with ORs adjusted for age, sex and remoteness.
Unweighted and survey weighted prevalence estimates with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated for each study for all highly and moderately comparable variables used in the exposure-outcome relationship analyses.
This consisted of i) ten pairs where both the exposure and the outcome variables were highly comparable across the two studies; and ii) ten pairs where the exposure and/or outcome variables were only moderately comparable across the two studies.
We classified questionnaire items as highly comparable, moderately comparable or not comparable, based on whether the item was expected to yield identical, similar or non-comparable responses, respectively, for a given individual.
