Systematic reviews published in higher impact clinical journals were of higher quality.

J Clin Epidemiol

Department of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, University of Bern, Freiburgstrasse 7 CH-3010, Bern, Switzerland.

Published: July 2014

Objectives: To compare the methodological quality of systematic reviews (SRs) published in high- and low-impact factor (IF) Core Clinical Journals. In addition, we aimed to record the implementation of aspects of reporting, including Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) flow diagram, reasons for study exclusion, and use of recommendations for interventions such as Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE).

Study Design And Setting: We searched PubMed for systematic reviews published in Core Clinical Journals between July 1 and December 31, 2012. We evaluated the methodological quality using the Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews (AMSTAR) tool.

Results: Over the 6-month period, 327 interventional systematic reviews were identified with a mean AMSTAR score of 63.3% (standard deviation, 17.1%), when converted to a percentage scale. We identified deficiencies in relation to a number of quality criteria including delineation of excluded studies and assessment of publication bias. We found that SRs published in higher impact journals were undertaken more rigorously with higher percentage AMSTAR scores (per IF unit: β = 0.68%; 95% confidence interval: 0.32, 1.04; P < 0.001), a discrepancy likely to be particularly relevant when differences in IF are large.

Conclusion: Methodological quality of SRs appears to be better in higher impact journals. The overall quality of SRs published in many Core Clinical Journals remains suboptimal.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jclinepi.2014.01.002DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

systematic reviews
24
clinical journals
16
higher impact
12
methodological quality
12
srs published
12
core clinical
12
reviews published
8
published higher
8
published core
8
impact journals
8

Similar Publications

Background: Knee injuries resulting in purely cartilaginous defects are rare, and controversy remains regarding the reliability of chondral-only fixation.

Purpose: To systematically review the literature for fixation methods and outcomes after primary fixation of chondral-only defects within the knee.

Study Design: Systematic review; Level of evidence, 5.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Selective androgen receptor modulators (SARMs) are small-molecule compounds that exert agonist and antagonist effects on androgen receptors in a tissue-specific fashion. Because of their performance-enhancing implications, SARMs are increasingly abused by athletes. To date, SARMs have no Food and Drug Administration approved use, and recent case reports associate the use of SARMs with deleterious effects such as drug-induced liver injury, myocarditis, and tendon rupture.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: To summarize the statistical performance of machine learning in predicting revision, secondary knee injury, or reoperations following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR), and to provide a general overview of the statistical performance of these models.

Methods: Three online databases (PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE) were searched from database inception to February 6, 2024, to identify literature on the use of machine learning to predict revision, secondary knee injury (e.g.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Ethiopia hygiene practice during complementary feeding and associated factors; systematic review and meta-analysis.

BMC Pediatr

January 2025

Health Promotion and Health Behavior Department, Institute of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia.

Background: Complementary feeding is crucial for infant growth, but poor hygiene during this period increases the risk of malnutrition and illness. In Ethiopia, national data on hygiene practices during complementary feeding, particularly among mothers of children aged 6-24 months, is limited. This study aims to synthesize existing data through a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the status of hygiene practices and identify key influencing factors, informing public health strategies to improve child health outcomes.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: There is evidence that exercise may reduce the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and improve other obstetric outcomes in overweight or obese pregnant women. However, the available evidence is of low quality and inconclusive. The purpose of this study is to assess the effects of exercise, compared with usual care, in reducing GDM and other obstetric risks, in overweight and obese pregnant women.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!