Data
extraction
Variables assessed included the study’s characteristics, such as the
year of publication, the country where the study was conducted, sample
size, study design, and study duration through a standardized data
collection form. The compliance outcomes in terms of rates and/or
percentages were extracted from the included articles. Health outcome
measures such as serum ferritin levels, cardiac and iron loading,
endocrine related complications, and health-related quality of life were
collected and tabulated accordingly.