How to conduct and report checking transitivity and inconsistency in network-meta-analysis: a narrative review including practical worked examples, code and source data for sports and exercise medicine researchers.

ABSTRACT: The use of network meta-analysis (NMA) in sport and exercise medicine (SEM) research continues to rise as it enables the comparison of multiple interventions that may not have been assessed in a single randomised controlled trial. NMA can then inform clinicians on potentially better interventions. Despite the increased use of NMA, we have observed that in the SEM field, a key challenge for author groups can be the assessment and reporting of key assumptions, in particular transitivity and consistency. This paper provides SEM researchers with a practical guide on how to approach the transitivity and consistency assumptions of NMA. Using a previously published NMA in the SEM field, we provide the statistical code, source data and worked examples to facilitate understanding and best practice

SUBMITTER: Belavy DL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11667426 | biostudies-literature | 2024

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature