Sample size and precision of estimates in studies of depression screening tool accuracy: A meta-research review of studies published in 2018-2021.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

Depression screening tool accuracy studies should be conducted with large enough sample sizes to generate precise accuracy estimates. We assessed the proportion of recently published depression screening tool diagnostic accuracy studies that reported sample size calculations; the proportion that provided confidence intervals (CIs); and precision, based on the width and lower bounds of 95% CIs for sensitivity and specificity. In addition, we assessed whether these results have improved since a previous review of studies published in 2013-2015.

Methods

MEDLINE was searched from January 1, 2018, through May 21, 2021.

Results

Twelve of 106 primary studies (11%) described a viable sample size calculation, which represented an improvement of 8% since the last rev

SUBMITTER: Nassar EL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9159687 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature