Livia Puljak1, Zvjezdana Lovric Makaric2, Ivan Buljan3, Dawid Pieper4. 1. Center for Evidence-Based Medicine & Health Care, Catholic University of Croatia, Ilica 242, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia. 2. Department of Epidemiology, Croatian National Institute of Public Health, Rockefellerova 7, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia. 3. Department of Research in Biomedicine & Health, University of Split School of Medicine, Šoltanska 2, 21000 Split, Croatia. 4. Institute for Research in Operative Medicine (IFOM), Witten/Herdecke University, Ostmerheimer Str. 200, Building 38, 51109 Cologne, Germany.
Abstract
Aim: To analyze descriptors/definitions of meta-epidemiological studies as well as study design of articles that were self-described as meta-epidemiological studies. Methods: We searched MEDLINE and Embase on 6 August 2019. We extracted definitions of meta-epidemiological studies, as well as study designs, statistics and units of analysis that were reported in studies self-labelled as meta-epidemiological studies. Results: We included 175 information sources in the analysis. Definitions of meta-epidemiological studies varied and some studies used the term meta-epidemiological study to describe methodological research-on-research studies. Less than a half of the studies (n = 54; 42.9%) used the two-step meta-epidemiological approach in data analysis. Among studies self-labelled as meta-epidemiological, 9.4% reported registration in PROSPERO and 11% indicated they reported the study in line with PRISMA. Conclusion: Research community would benefit from consensus about definition of meta-epidemiological study.
Aim: To analyze descriptors/definitions of meta-epidemiological studies as well as study design of articles that were self-described as meta-epidemiological studies. Methods: We searched MEDLINE and Embase on 6 August 2019. We extracted definitions of meta-epidemiological studies, as well as study designs, statistics and units of analysis that were reported in studies self-labelled as meta-epidemiological studies. Results: We included 175 information sources in the analysis. Definitions of meta-epidemiological studies varied and some studies used the term meta-epidemiological study to describe methodological research-on-research studies. Less than a half of the studies (n = 54; 42.9%) used the two-step meta-epidemiological approach in data analysis. Among studies self-labelled as meta-epidemiological, 9.4% reported registration in PROSPERO and 11% indicated they reported the study in line with PRISMA. Conclusion: Research community would benefit from consensus about definition of meta-epidemiological study.
Keywords:
meta-analysis; meta-epidemiological study; meta-epidemiology; research methodology; systematic review
Authors: Michael W Beets; Lauren von Klinggraeff; Sarah Burkart; Alexis Jones; John P A Ioannidis; R Glenn Weaver; Anthony D Okely; David Lubans; Esther van Sluijs; Russell Jago; Gabrielle Turner-McGrievy; James Thrasher; Xiaoming Li Journal: Obes Rev Date: 2021-11-14 Impact factor: 10.867
Authors: Lawrence Mbuagbaw; Daeria O Lawson; Livia Puljak; David B Allison; Lehana Thabane Journal: BMC Med Res Methodol Date: 2020-09-07 Impact factor: 4.615