Influence of pilot and small trials in meta-analyses of behavioral interventions: a meta-epidemiological study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Pilot/feasibility or studies with small sample sizes may be associated with inflated effects. This study explores the vibration of effect sizes (VoE) in meta-analyses when considering different inclusion criteria based upon sample size or pilot/feasibility status.

Methods

Searches were to identify systematic reviews that conducted meta-analyses of behavioral interventions on topics related to the prevention/treatment of childhood obesity from January 2016 to October 2019. The computed summary effect sizes (ES) were extracted from each meta-analysis. Individual studies included in the meta-analyses were classified into one of the following four categories: self-identified pilot/feasibility studies or based upon sample size but not a pilot/feasibility study (N ≤ 100

SUBMITTER: Beets MW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9938611 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature