Quantifying the advantages of conducting a prospective meta-analysis (PMA): a case study of early childhood obesity prevention.

ABSTRACT:

Background

For prospective meta-analyses (PMAs), eligible studies are identified, and the PMA hypotheses, selection criteria, and analysis methods are pre-specified before the results of any of the studies are known. This reduces publication bias and selective outcome reporting and provides a unique opportunity for outcome standardisation/harmonisation. We conducted a world-first PMA of four trials investigating interventions to prevent early childhood obesity. The aims of this study were to quantitatively analyse the effects of prospective planning on variations across trials, outcome harmonisation, and the power to detect intervention effects, and to derive recommendations for future PMA.

Methods

We examined intervention design, participant characteristics, and outcomes co

SUBMITTER: Seidler AL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7821475 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature