Individual participant data meta-analysis versus aggregate data meta-analysis: A case study in eczema and food allergy prevention.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Meta-analysis traditionally uses aggregate data from published reports. Individual Participant Data (IPD) meta-analysis, which obtains and synthesizes participant-level data, is potentially more informative, but resource-intensive. The impact on the findings of meta-analyses using IPD in comparison with aggregate data has rarely been formally evaluated.

Methods

We conducted a secondary analysis of a Cochrane systematic review of skincare interventions for preventing eczema and food allergy in infants to identify the impact of the analytical choice on the review's findings. We used aggregate data meta-analysis only and contrasted the results against those of the originally published IPD meta-analysis. All meta-analysis used random effects inverse variance models.

SUBMITTER: Van Vogt E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9302682 | biostudies-literature | 2022 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature