| Literature DB >> 34747036 |
Jun-Yu Shi1,2,3,4,5, Xiao Zhang1,2,3,4,5, Shu-Jiao Qian1,2,3,4,5, Shi-Min Wei1,2,3,4,5, Kai-Xiao Yan1,2,3,4,5, Min Xu1,2,3,4,5, Hong-Chang Lai1,2,3,4,5, Maurizio S Tonetti1,2,3,4,5,6.
Abstract
AIM: Analysis of distribution of p-values of continuous differences between test and controls after randomization provides evidence of unintentional error, non-random sampling, or data fabrication in randomized controlled trials (RCTs). We assessed evidence of highly unusual distributions of baseline characteristics of subjects enrolled in clinical trials in implant dentistry.Entities:
Keywords: data integrity; implant dentistry; non-random sampling; randomized clinical trials; risk of bias
Mesh:
Year: 2021 PMID: 34747036 PMCID: PMC9299163 DOI: 10.1111/jcpe.13571
Source DB: PubMed Journal: J Clin Periodontol ISSN: 0303-6979 Impact factor: 7.478
Impact of time on the number (proportion) of trials reporting baseline covariates after randomization (total number of trials = 1538)
| Period (number of publications) | Baseline description |
| |
|---|---|---|---|
| Not reported | Reported | ||
| 2005–2010 ( | 84 (34.6) | 159 (65.4) | <.01 |
| 2011–2015 ( | 132 (27.2) | 354 (72.8) | |
| 2016–2020 (N = 809) | 193 (23.9) | 616 (76.1) | |
Note: The p‐values were retrieved with the Cochran−Armitage trend test.
FIGURE 1PRISMA diagram illustrating the included studies. RCTs, randomized controlled trials
Impact of the 2020 journal impact factor (IF) on the number (proportion) of trials reporting baseline covariates after randomization (total number of trials = 1538)
| Impact factor (number of publications) | Baseline description |
| |
|---|---|---|---|
| Not reported | Reported | ||
| IF < 1 ( | 37 (31.4) | 81 (68.6) | .009 |
| 1 ≤ IF < 3 ( | 129 (30.5) | 294 (69.5) | |
| 3 ≤ IF < 5 ( | 125 (27.6) | 328 (72.4) | |
| IF ≥ 5 ( | 118 (21.7) | 426 (78.3) | |
Note: p‐Values were retrieved with the Cochran–Armitage trend test. IF values of 2020 of the journals were used in the analysis.
FIGURE 2Expected and observed distribution of p‐values of baseline covariates after randomization. N = 1449 variables from 458 trials
FIGURE 3Cumulative proportion of expected and observed distribution of p‐values of baseline covariates after randomization. N = 1449 variables from 458 trials. AUC, area under the curve
Indicators of RCTs with unusual distribution (p < .001)
| Expected | Observed | 95% CI |
| ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indicator (number of variables) | Proportion of | Chi‐square | |||
| Publication year | 2005–2010 ( | 0.1 | 0.59 | 0.01–3.23 | – |
| 2011–2015 ( | 0.1 | 1.92 | 0.78–3.92 | .268 | |
| 2016–2020 ( | 0.1 | 1.31 | 0.68–2.28 | .441 | |
| Type of institution | Hospital ( | 0.1 | 0.94 | 0.31–2.18 | – |
| University ( | 0.1 | 1.81 | 1.02–2.97 | .203 | |
| Clinical research organization ( | 0.1 | 0.00 | – | .999 | |
| Private practice/company ( | 0.1 | 0.00 | – | .999 | |
| Source of funding | No funding ( | 0.1 | 1.73 | 0.83–3.16 | – |
| Institutional funding ( | 0.1 | 2.42 | 1.11–4.54 | .465 | |
| Industrial funding ( | 0.1 | 0.20 | 0.00–1.11 | .039 | |
| Multi‐centre | No ( | 0.1 | 1.13 | 0.63–1.86 | – |
| Yes ( | 0.1 | 4.10 | 1.34–9.31 | .013 | |
| Trial registration | No ( | 0.1 | 2.62 | 1.47–4.29 | – |
| Yes ( | 0.1 | 0.57 | 0.19–1.33 | .003 | |
Note: As the proportion of p < .001 was low in all subgroups, the significance of indicators of RCTs with unusual distribution was tested with Chi‐square in Poisson regression using the first group as the reference (ref = first) and a logarithmic link function. The 95% confidence interval (CI) was calculated using the following SAS procedure (Proc freq; table x/binomial; run;).