A descriptive analysis of child-relevant systematic reviews in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews

Ref ID 143
First Author S. Bow
Journal BMC PEDIATRICS
Year Of Publishing 2010
URL https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2881081/pdf/1471-2431-10-34.pdf
Keywords • Paediatrics
• Cochrane
• Risk of bias
• Publication bias
• Multiplicity
• Pre-specification
Problem(s) • Weaknesses identified in some Cochrane reviews
• Multiplicity of outcomes and lack of pre-specification for outcome reporting
• Poor consideration of publication bias
• Not updated regularly
• Flawed risk of bias undertaken
Article Type Empirical
Article Subtype Cross-sectional survey/Methodological systematic review
First Author Country Canada
Aim To assess key descriptive characteristics of child-relevant Cochrane review published in Issue 2 of the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2009.
Level of Investigation Descriptive
Summary of Findings 38% of 793 included systematic reviews were last assessed as up-to-date prior to 2007. Primary outcomes were specified in 72% of systematic reviews. Allocation concealment and the Jadad scale were used in 97% and 25% of systematic reviews, respectively. Publication bias was assessed in only 14% of systematic reviews. Adults and children were analysed separately in 12% of systematic reviews and as a subgroup analysis in 14%.
Number of systematic reviews included 793
Number of eligible systematic reviews assessed 1666
Treatment impacted No
Treatment impacted description
Interpretation impacted Not Applicable
Interpretation impacted description