Comparisons of various estimates of the I2 statistic for quantifying between-study heterogeneity in meta-analysis.

ABSTRACT: Assessing heterogeneity between studies is a critical step in determining whether studies can be combined and whether the synthesized results are reliable. The I2 statistic has been a popular measure for quantifying heterogeneity, but its usage has been challenged from various perspectives in recent years. In particular, it should not be considered an absolute measure of heterogeneity, and it could be subject to large uncertainties. As such, when using I2 to interpret the extent of heterogeneity, it is essential to account for its interval estimate. Various point and interval estimators exist for I2. This article summarizes these estimators. In addition, we performed a simulation study under different scenarios to investigate preferable point and interval estimates of I2. We found that the

SUBMITTER: Wang Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11759644 | biostudies-literature | 2024 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature