Believability of relative risks and odds ratios in abstracts: cross sectional study.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To compare the distribution of P values in abstracts of randomised controlled trials with that in observational studies, and to check P values between 0.04 and 0.06.

Design

Cross sectional study of all 260 abstracts in PubMed of articles published in 2003 that contained "relative risk" or "odds ratio" and reported results from a randomised trial, and random samples of 130 abstracts from cohort studies and 130 from case-control studies. P values were noted or calculated if unreported.

Main outcome measures

Prevalence of significant P values in abstracts and distribution of P values between 0.04 and 0.06.

Results

The first result in the abstract was statistically significant in 70% of the trials, 84% of cohort studies, and 84% of case-control studies. A

SUBMITTER: Gotzsche PC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1523498 | biostudies-literature | 2006 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature