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dc.contributor.authorIoannidis, J. P.en
dc.contributor.authorTrikalinos, T. A.en
dc.date.accessioned2015-11-24T19:42:30Z-
dc.date.available2015-11-24T19:42:30Z-
dc.identifier.issn1488-2329-
dc.identifier.urihttps://olympias.lib.uoi.gr/jspui/handle/123456789/24651-
dc.rightsDefault Licence-
dc.subject*Data Interpretation, Statisticalen
dc.subjectDatabases, Bibliographicen
dc.subjectHumansen
dc.subject*Meta-Analysis as Topicen
dc.subjectPeriodicals as Topicen
dc.subject*Publication Biasen
dc.titleThe appropriateness of asymmetry tests for publication bias in meta-analyses: a large surveyen
heal.typejournalArticle-
heal.type.enJournal articleen
heal.type.elΆρθρο Περιοδικούel
heal.identifier.primary10.1503/cmaj.060410-
heal.identifier.secondaryhttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17420491-
heal.identifier.secondaryhttp://www.cmaj.ca/content/176/8/1091.full.pdf-
heal.languageen-
heal.accesscampus-
heal.recordProviderΠανεπιστήμιο Ιωαννίνων. Σχολή Επιστημών Υγείας. Τμήμα Ιατρικήςel
heal.publicationDate2007-
heal.abstractBACKGROUND: Statistical tests for funnel-plot asymmetry are common in meta-analyses. Inappropriate application can generate misleading inferences about publication bias. We aimed to measure, in a survey of meta-analyses, how frequently the application of these tests would be not meaningful or inappropriate. METHODS: We evaluated all meta-analyses of binary outcomes with e 3 studies in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (2003, issue 2). A separate, restricted analysis was confined to the largest meta-analysis in each of the review articles. In each meta-analysis, we assessed whether criteria to apply asymmetry tests were met: no significant heterogeneity, I2 < 50%, e 10 studies (with statistically significant results in at least 1) and ratio of the maximal to minimal variance across studies > 4. We performed a correlation and 2 regression asymmetry tests and evaluated their concordance. Finally, we sampled 60 meta-analyses from print journals in 2005 that cited use of the standard regression test. RESULTS: A total of 366 of 6873 (5%) and 98 of 846 meta-analyses (12%) in the wider and restricted Cochrane data set, respectively, would have qualified for use of asymmetry tests. Asymmetry test results were significant in 7%-18% of the meta-analyses. Concordance between the 3 tests was modest (estimated k 0.33-0.66). Of the 60 journal meta-analyses, 7 (12%) would qualify for asymmetry tests; all 11 claims for identification of publication bias were made in the face of large and significant heterogeneity. INTERPRETATION: Statistical conditions for employing asymmetry tests for publication bias are absent from most meta-analyses; yet, in medical journals these tests are performed often and interpreted erroneously.en
heal.journalNameCMAJen
heal.journalTypepeer-reviewed-
heal.fullTextAvailabilityTRUE-
Appears in Collections:Άρθρα σε επιστημονικά περιοδικά ( Ανοικτά) - ΙΑΤ

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