Inequities in glaucoma research: an analysis of Cochrane systematic reviews and randomized trials

Ref ID 1104
First Author M. Bondok
Journal JOURNAL OF CLINICAL EPIDEMIOLOGY
Year Of Publishing 2025
URL https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jclinepi.2025.111717
Keywords • Ophthalmology
• Cochrane
• Equity
• Author
Problem(s) • Failure to consider equity, different socioeconomic groups or disadvantaged populations
• Weaknesses identified in some Cochrane reviews
• Lack of diversity in review authorship teams
Article Type Empirical
Article Subtype Cross-sectional survey/Methodological systematic review
First Author Country Canada
Checklists • PROGRESS
Aim To understand the level of equity considerations within Cochrane systematic reviews published in The Cochrane Library from inception (2003) to January 31, 2024, on glaucoma and their primary studies.
Level of Investigation Descriptive
Summary of Findings From the 40 included Cochrane reviews published in The Cochrane Library from inception (2003) to January 31, 2024, on glaucoma and their primary studies: twenty-nine (72.5%) acknowledged populations experiencing inequities in glaucoma care; none were able to perform subgroup analysis due to data unavailability in primary studies. Six (15.0%) reviews considered equity-relevant factors when discussing applicability or limitations of study findings to specific populations. Seventy-four (46.8%) review authors were women, while 84 (53.2%) were men. Most review authors were primarily affiliated with institutions in the European Region (85, 53.8%) or the Americas (55, 34.8%), while none were primarily affiliated with institutions in Africa or low-income countries. Most RCTs were conducted in the Americas (32.8%), European Region (27.9%), or in high-income countries (72.1%). While most RCTs reported gender or sex of participants (107, 87.7%), only half reported race or ethnicity (61, 50.0%). No RCTs reported place of residence, occupation, socioeconomic status (SES), or social capital of participants.
Number of systematic reviews included 40
Number of eligible systematic reviews assessed 40
Treatment impacted Not Applicable
Treatment impacted description
Interpretation impacted Not Applicable
Interpretation impacted description