Use of relative and absolute effect measures in reporting health inequalities: structured review.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To examine the frequency of reporting of absolute and relative effect measures in health inequalities research.

Design

Structured review of selected general medical and public health journals.

Data sources

344 articles published during 2009 in American Journal of Epidemiology, American Journal of Public Health, BMJ, Epidemiology, International Journal of Epidemiology, JAMA, Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, The Lancet, The New England Journal of Medicine, and Social Science and Medicine.

Main outcome measures

Frequency and proportion of studies reporting absolute effect measures, relative effect measures, or both in abstract and full text; availability of absolute risks in studies reporting only relative effect measures.

Results

40%

SUBMITTER: King NB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3432634 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature