Examining the theory‐effectiveness hypothesis: A systematic review of systematic reviews The clinical effectiveness of different parenting programmes for children with conduct problems: a systematic review of randomised controlled trials Prevention of cervical cancer in HIV-seropositive women from developing countries: a systematic review protocol Summarizing systematic reviews: methodological development, conduct and reporting of an umbrella review approach Dietary factors and depression in older people. Physical rehabilitation interventions for adult patients with critical illness across the continuum of recovery: an overview of systematic reviews protocol A conversation with Joseph Lau. Vitamin B12, folate, and homocysteine in depression: the Rotterdam Study. UK clinical guideline for the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis Yoga-based exercise improves health-related quality of life and mental well-being in older people: a systematic review of randomised controlled trials The B-VITAGE trial: A randomized trial of homocysteine lowering treatment of depression in later life The effectiveness of yoga to prevent diabetes mellitus type 2 Serum Vitamin B12, C and Folate Concentrations in the New Mexico Elder Health Survey: Correlations with Cognitive and Affective Functions World Federation of Societies of Biological Psychiatry (WFSBP) Guidelines for Biological Treatment of Schizophrenia, Part 1: Acute treatment of schizophrenia Predictive value of folate, vitamin B12 and homocysteine levels in late-life depression. Elusive search for effective provider interventions: a systematic review of provider interventions to increase adherence to evidence-based treatment for depression Seeing the forests and the trees—innovative approaches to exploring heterogeneity in systematic reviews of complex interventions to enhance health system decision-making: a protocol Key Steps in Conducting Systematic Reviews for Underpinning Clinical Practice Guidelines: Methodology of the European Association of Urology. Do home-based exercise interventions improve outcomes for frail older people? Findings from a systematic review. Effectiveness of interventions that assist caregivers to support people with dementia living in the community: a systematic review. Circulating Concentrations of Folate and Vitamin B12 in Relation to Prostate Cancer Risk: Results from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition Study Simulation-Based Skill Training for Trainees in Cardiac Surgery: A Systematic Review. Checklists of methodological issues for review authors to consider when including non-randomized studies in systematic reviews.
PURPOSE Health interventions based on theory may be more effective than those that are not . This review of review s synthesizes all published r and omized controlled trial ( RCT ) meta-analytic evidence from the last decade to examine whether theory-based interventions were found to be associated with more effective  adult health behaviour change interventions . METHODS Systematic review s including meta-analyses were identified by search ing Medline , CINAHL , PsycINFO , and CDSR . A narrative synthesis was used to summarize and analyse the evidence . Only review s including RCTs of health behaviour change interventions with adults aged 18 + published from 2007 to 2017 were included . RESULTS Of 8,659 articles , nine systematic review s met inclusion criteria . The majority of review s ( n = 8) suggested no increased effectiveness for theory-based compared to non-theory-based interventions for effectiveness of outcomes relating to health behaviour . Less than half of the RCTs included in the review s reported the use of theory ( 85/183 ) . Two review s suggested interventions based on control theory , motivational interviewing , or self-determination theory were associated with greater effectiveness for physical activity and /or dietary interventions and outcomes . Method ological and reporting issues limit the conclusions . CONCLUSIONS Theory-based interventions as currently operationalized in systematic review s were not found to be more effective than non-theory-based interventions . Method ological and reporting issues at study and review level may not reflect the true utility of theory use within health behaviour interventions . The promotion of theory use may benefit from using a multifaceted argument , rather than a narrow focus of increased effectiveness . Statement of contribution What is already known on this subject ? Theory use is regularly promoted by cl aim ing that it will lead to more effective behaviour change interventions . Theory use has been frequently linked to effectiveness within systematic review s of behaviour change interventions . The theory-effectiveness hypothesis has not been systematic ally examined at the systematic review level . What does this study add ? Theory use as operationalized by systematic review authors was not associated with increased effectiveness within systematic review s examining r and omized controlled trials of behaviour change interventions in adults . Interventions based on control theory , motivational interviewing , or self-determination theory were associated with greater effectiveness for physical activity and /or dietary interventions and outcomes . Theory use should be promoted using a multifaceted argument , and assertions for increased effectiveness of theory-based interventions should only be used in domains where specific evidence exists to support this cl aim Background Conduct problems are common , disabling and costly . The prognosis for children with conduct problems is poor , with outcomes in adulthood including criminal behaviour , alcoholism , drug abuse , domestic violence , child abuse and a range of psychiatric disorders . There has been a rapid expansion of group based parent-training programmes for the treatment of children with conduct problems  in a number of countries over the past 10 years . Existing review s of parent training have method ological limitations such as inclusion of non-r and omised studies , the absence of investigation for heterogeneity prior to meta- analysis or failure to report confidence intervals . The objective of the current study was to systematic ally review r and omised controlled trials of parenting programmes for the treatment of children with conduct problems .  Methods St and ard systematic review methods were followed including duplicate inclusion decisions , data extraction and quality assessment . Twenty electronic data bases from the fields of medicine , psychology , social science and education were comprehensively search ed for RCTs and systematic review s to February 2006 . Inclusion criteria were : r and omised controlled trial ; of structured , repeatable parenting programmes ; for parents/carers of children up to the age of 18 with a conduct problem ; and at least one measure of child behaviour . Meta- analysis and qualitative synthesis were used to summarise included studies . Results 57 RCTs were included . Studies were small with an average group size of 21 . Meta-analyses using both parent ( SMD -0.67 ; 95 % CI : -0.91 , -0.42 ) and independent ( SMD -0.44 ; 95 % CI : -0.66 , -0.23 ) reports of outcome showed significant differences favouring the intervention group . There was insufficient evidence to determine the relative effectiveness of different approaches to delivering parenting programmes . Conclusion Parenting programmes are an effective treatment for children with conduct problems . The relative effectiveness of different parenting programmes requires further research Background Over 85 % of cervical cancer cases and deaths occur in developing countries . HIV-seropositive women are more likely to develop precancerous lesions that lead to cervical cancer than HIV-negative women . However , the literature on cervical cancer prevention in seropositive women in developing countries has not been review ed . The aim of this study is to systematic ally review cervical cancer prevention modalities available for HIV-seropositive women in developing countries . Methods / design This protocol was developed by following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review s and Meta-Analyses Protocol s ( PRISMA -P ) statement , and the systematic review will be reported in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines . Embase , MEDLINE , PubMed , CINAHL and Cochrane Library will be search ed from inception up to date of final search , and additional studies will be located through citation and reference list tracking . Eligible studies will be r and omised controlled trials , prospect i ve and retrospective cohort studies , case-control and cross-sectional studies carried out in developing countries . Studies will be included if they are published in English and examine cervical cancer prevention modalities in HIV-seropositive women . Results will be summarised in tables and , where appropriate , combined using meta- analysis . Discussion This review will address the gap in evidence by systematic ally review ing the published literature on the different prevention modalities being used to prevent  cervical cancer in HIV-seropositive women in developing countries . The findings may be used to inform evidence -based guidelines for prevention of cervical cancer in seropositive women as well as future research . Systematic review registration PROSPERO CRD42017054678 Aims : With the increase in the number of systematic review s available , a logical next step to provide decision makers in healthcare with the evidence they require has been the conduct of review s of existing systematic review s. Syntheses of existing systematic review s are referred to by many different names , one of which is an umbrella review . An umbrella review allows the findings of review s relevant to a review question to be compared and contrasted . An umbrella review 's most characteristic feature is that this type of evidence synthesis only considers for inclusion the highest level of evidence , namely other systematic review s and meta-analyses . A methodology working group was formed by the Joanna Briggs Institute to develop method ological guidance for the conduct of an umbrella review , including diverse types of evidence , both quantitative and qualitative . The aim of this study is to describe the development and guidance for the conduct of an umbrella review . Methods : Discussion and testing of the elements of methods for the conduct of an umbrella review were held over a 6-month period by members of a methodology working group . The working group comprised six participants who corresponded via teleconference , e-mail and face-to-face meeting during this development period . In October 2013 , the methodology was presented in a workshop at the Joanna Briggs Institute Convention . Workshop participants , review authors and method ologists provided further testing , critique and feedback on the proposed methodology . Results : This study describes the methodology and methods developed for the conduct of an umbrella review that includes published systematic review s and meta-analyses as the analytical unit of the review . Details are provided regarding the essential elements of an umbrella review , including presentation of the review question in a Population , Intervention , Comparator , Outcome format , nuances of the inclusion criteria and search strategy . A critical appraisal tool with 10 questions to help assess risk of bias in systematic review s and meta-analyses was also developed and tested . Relevant details to extract from included review s and how to best present the findings of both quantitative and qualitative systematic review s in a reader friendly format are provided . Conclusions : Umbrella review s provide a ready means for decision makers in healthcare to gain a clear underst and ing of a broad topic area . The umbrella review methodology described here is the first to consider review s that report other than quantitative evidence derived from r and omized controlled trials . The methodology includes an easy to use and informative summary of evidence table to readily provide decision makers with the available , highest level of evidence relevant to the question posed Depression is one of the most prevalent mental health conditions and can affect people of all ages , but it is becoming more common among the older population with increasing life expectancy . Observational studies have found poor micronutrient status ( particularly folate and vitamin B12 ) to be associated with an increased risk of  depression in older people .  Supplementation with folic acid has been shown to enhance anti-depressant drug treatment and there is preliminary evidence that supplementation with certain micronutrients may help improve depressive symptoms in older patients . There has also been a lot of interest in the role of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids in depression . However , the evidence from r and omized controlled trials is limited and difficult to evaluate owing to considerable variability between studies . The research highlights the importance of a healthy diet and lifestyle to help maintain good mental health into old age and health professionals should try to support older people in trying to achieve this Background Patients admitted to the intensive care unit with critical illness often experience significant physical impairments , which typically persist for many years following resolution of the original illness . Physical rehabilitation interventions that enhance restoration of physical function have been evaluated across the continuum of recovery following critical illness including within the intensive care unit , following discharge to the ward and beyond hospital discharge . Multiple systematic review s have been published appraising the exp and ing evidence investigating these physical rehabilitation interventions , although there appears to be variability in review methodology and quality . We aim to conduct an overview of existing systematic review s of physical rehabilitation interventions for adult intensive care patients across the continuum of recovery . Methods / design This protocol has been developed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review s and Meta-Analyses Protocol ( PRISMA -P ) guidelines . We will search the Cochrane Systematic Review Data base , Data base of Abstract s of Review s of Effectiveness , Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials , MEDLINE , Excerpta Medica Data base and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature data bases . We will include systematic review s of r and omised controlled trials of adult patients , admitted to the intensive care unit and who have received physical rehabilitation interventions at any time point during their recovery . Data extraction will include systematic review aims and rationale , study types , population s , interventions , comparators , outcomes and quality appraisal method . Primary outcomes of interest will focus on findings reflecting recovery of physical function . Quality of reporting and method ological quality will be appraised using the PRISMA checklist and the Assessment of Multiple Systematic Review s tool . Discussion We anticipate the findings from this novel overview of systematic review s will contribute to the synthesis and interpretation of existing evidence regarding physical rehabilitation interventions and physical recovery in post-critical illness patients across the continuum of recovery . Systematic review registration PROSPERO CRD42015001068 Dr. Joseph Lau is a world-leading expert in meta- analysis and systematic review s. Currently a professor in the Department of Health Services , Policy and Practice and co-director of the Center for Evidence -based Medicine at Brown University , Professor Lau has applied evidence -based methods to a variety of clinical , biomedical and healthcare topics ; has developed reliable and efficient methods and tools to conduct systematic review s and meta-analyses ; and has advanced an underst and ing on the impact of factors that may contribute to differences of results in scientific studies . His past research includes cumulative meta- analysis of r and omized controlled trials , comparison of results from large trials and meta-analyses of small trials , effect of baseline risk in the interpretation of clinical trial results , and empirical evaluation of existing methods of combining data . His current focus is on a Web-based repository of systematic review data , review s of diagnostic tests , nutrition , clinical practice guidelines , and dissemination of evidence -based methods to varied health-care disciplines . This report is a conversation from an adapted version of an interview , more or less chronologically arranged , between Joseph C. Cappelleri as interviewer and Joseph Lau as interviewee , with Meghan Ingerick recording and transcribing the interview OBJECTIVE The associations of vitamin B(12 ) , folate , and homocysteine with depression were examined in a population -based study . METHOD The authors screened 3,884 elderly people for depressive symptoms . Subjects with positive screening results had psychiatric workups .  Folate , vitamin B(12 ) , and homocysteine blood levels  were compared in 278 persons with depressive symptoms , including 112 with depressive disorders , and 416 r and omly selected reference subjects . Adjustments were made for age , gender , cardiovascular disease , and functional disability . RESULTS Hyperhomocysteinemia , vitamin B(12 ) deficiency , and to a lesser extent , folate deficiency were all related to depressive disorders . For folate deficiency and hyperhomocysteinemia , the association with depressive disorders was substantially reduced after adjustment for functional disability and cardiovascular disease , but for vitamin B(12 ) this appeared independent . CONCLUSIONS The association of vitamin B(12 ) and folate with depressive disorders may have different underlying mechanisms . Vitamin B(12 ) may be causally related to depression , whereas the relation with folate is due to physical comorbidity Introduction In 2008 , the UK National Osteoporosis Guideline Group ( NOGG ) produced a guideline on the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis , with an up date in 2013 . This paper presents a major up date of the guideline , the scope of which is to review the assessment and management of osteoporosis and the prevention of fragility fractures in postmenopausal women and men age 50 years or over . Methods Where available , systematic review s , meta-analyses and r and omised controlled trials were used to provide the evidence base . Conclusions and recommendations were systematic ally grade d according to the strength of the available evidence . Results Review of the evidence and recommendations are provided for the diagnosis of osteoporosis , fracture-risk assessment , lifestyle measures and pharmacological interventions , duration and monitoring of bisphosphonate therapy , glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis , osteoporosis in men , postfracture care and intervention thresholds . Conclusion The guideline , which has received accreditation from the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence ( NICE ) , provides a comprehensive overview of the assessment and management of osteoporosis for all healthcare professionals who are involved in its management OBJECTIVE health-related quality of life ( HRQOL ) and mental well-being are associated with healthy ageing . Physical activity positively impacts both HRQOL and mental well-being .  Yoga is a physical activity that can be modified to suits the needs of older people and is growing in popularity . We conducted a systematic review with meta- analysis to determine the impact of yoga-based exercise on  HRQOL and mental well-being in people aged 60 + . METHODS search es were conducted for relevant trials in the following electronic data bases ; MEDLINE , EMBASE , Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials , CINAHL , Allied and Complementary Medicine Data base , PsycINFO and the Physiotherapy Evidence Data base ( PEDro ) from inception to January 2017 . Trials that evaluated the effect of physical yoga on HRQOL and /or on mental well-being  in people aged 60 + years were included . Data on HRQOL and mental well-being were extracted . St and ardised mean differences and 95 % confidence intervals ( CI ) were calculated using r and om effects models . Method ological quality of trials was assessed using the PEDro scale . RESULTS twelve trials of high method ological quality ( mean PEDro score 6.1 ) , totalling 752 participants , were identified and provided data for the meta- analysis . Yoga produced a medium effect on HRQOL ( Hedges ' g = 0.51 , 95 % CI 0.25 - 0.76 , 12 trials ) and a small effect on mental well-being ( Hedges ' g = 0.38 , 95 % CI 0.15 - 0.62 , 12 trials ) . CONCLUSION yoga interventions result ed in small to moderate improvements in both HRQOL and mental well-being in people aged 60 + years . Further , research is needed to determine the optimal dose of yoga to maximise health impact . PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER ( CRD42016052458 ) Background Depression is a leading cause of disability worldwide and depressive symptoms are common in later life . Observational evidence suggests that depression is more prevalent among people with high plasma homocysteine ( tHcy ) , but the results of r and omized trials to date have been unable to show that lowering tHcy through the supplementation of vitamins B6 , B12 and folate benefits depressive symptoms . We design ed the B-VITAGE trial to determine whether adjunctive treatment with vitamins B6 , B12 and folate increases the efficacy of st and ard antidepressant treatment . Methods / Design The B-VITAGE trial is a 12-month r and omized , double-blind , placebo-controlled trial of daily citalopram ( 20 to 40 mg ) plus B12(0.4 mg ) , B6 ( 25 mg ) and folic acid ( 2 mg ) or citalopram ( 20 to 40 mg ) plus placebo for the treatment of depression in later life . The trial aims to recruit over 300 older adults with major depression ( DSM-IV ) and has been powered to detect the impact of an intervention associated with moderate effect size . Depressive symptoms will be rated with the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale ( MADRS ) . The trial has two main outcomes of interest : a reduction of 50 % or more in the MADRS total score between baseline and week 12 and the remission of the depressive episode at weeks 12 , 26 and 52 according to DSM-IV criteria . We hypothesize that subjects r and omly allocated to the vitamin arm of the study will be more likely to show a clinical ly significant improvement and achieve and maintain remission of symptoms at 12 , 26 and 52 weeks . Secondary outcomes of interest include compliance with treatment , reduction in the severity of depressive symptoms , switching to different antidepressants , the use of non-pharmacological antidepressant treatments , response to treatment according to MTHFRC677 T genotype , and changes in cognitive function over 52 weeks . Conclusions The results of this trial will clarify whether the systematic use of B-vitamins improves the response of older adults to st and ard antidepressant treatment . We anticipate that our findings will have implication s for clinical practice and health policy development . Trial Registration The trial is registered with the Australian Clinical Trials Registry , trial number ( ())ACTRN12609000256279 Background : Type 2 diabetes mellitus ( T2DM ) is becoming a leading problem worldwide . Emerging reports reveal alarming evidence of increasing prevalence of T2DM that has reached p and emic levels . Despite the significant incidence , there are limited reliable data re sources and comprehensive systematic review and meta- analysis on the effects of yoga on people who are a prediabetic or high risk for developing T2DM . Objective : The objective of this protocol is to conduct a full-scale systematic review and meta-analyses on the effects of yoga on people who are prediabetes or high risk of developing T2DM . Methods : The articles enrolled in the study will be retrieved from the online data bases between 2002 and the date the search es are executed . The search es will be repeated just before the final analyses and further relevant studies for inclusion . We will conduct a bibliographic search in data bases : Medline / PubMed , Scopus , Cochrane Library , EBSCO , and IndMED using keywords including prediabetes state , high risk for diabetes , metabolic syndrome , and yoga . A defined search strategy will be implemented along with selection criteria to obtain full-text articles of relevant studies . This study protocol was prepared according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review s and Meta- Analysis for Protocol s 2015 guidelines . There will be no language restrictions . Ethics and dissemination : The proposed study will be based on published studies and publicly available anonymized data without directly involving human participants and therefore requires neither formal human ethical review nor approval by a human research ethics committee . We published an outline of the protocol in the International Prospect i ve Register of Systematic Review s ( PROSPERO ) in 2018 . We plan to disseminate the findings of this systematic review and meta- analysis through publication in a peer- review ed journal and presentation at relevant conference proceedings . In addition , we believe the results of the systematic review will have implication s for policy and practice . We will prepare policymaker summary using a vali date d format , disseminate through social media and email discussion groups . Review registration number : PROSPERO registration number CRD Objectives : 1 ) To compare serum vitamin B12 , C and folate concentrations in a r and omly selected sample of elderly ( age 65 years or older ) male and female Hispanics and nonHispanic whites ( NHW ) and 2 ) to examine associations between serum B12 , C and folate concentrations compared to measures of cognitive and affective ( depression ) functions . Methods : Equal numbers of male and female Hispanics and NHW were r and omly sample d from the Health Care Financing Administration ( Medicare ) registrant list for Bernalillo County , New Mexico , and asked to volunteer for a paid home interview followed by a paid comprehensive interview/examination covering health and health-related issues . In addition to serum determinations of B12 , C and folate , associations were examined between these vitamins and measures of cognitive and affective functions . Results : Males and Hispanics had lower serum vitamin B12 , C and folate concentrations than females and NHW respectively . Participants taking a multivitamin supplement ( MVI ) had higher serum vitamin concentrations than those not taking MVI . There were significant associations between serum folate concentrations and measures of cognitive function , not seen with B12 or C , nor between any of the vitamins and affective function . Conclusions : Hispanics , even after adjustments for gender , age , vitamin supplementation , vitamin content of dietary foods , education and household income , had lower serum concentrations of B12 , C and folate than NHW . The most significant associations observed were those between serum folate and various measures of cognitive function , even after adjusting for presence of depression These guidelines for the biological treatment of schizophrenia were developed by an international Task Force of the World Federation of Societies of Biological Psychiatry ( WFSBP ) . The goal during the development of these guidelines was to review systematic ally all available evidence pertaining to the treatment of schizophrenia , and to reach a consensus on a series of practice recommendations that are clinical ly and scientifically meaningful based on the available evidence . These guidelines are intended for use by all physicians seeing and treating people with schizophrenia . The data used for developing these guidelines have been extracted primarily from various national treatment guidelines and panels for schizophrenia , as well as from meta-analyses , review s and r and omised clinical trials on the efficacy of pharmacological and other biological treatment interventions identified by a search of the MEDLINE data base and Cochrane Library . The identified literature was evaluated with respect to the strength of evidence for its efficacy and then categorised into four levels of evidence ( A – D ) . This first part of the guidelines covers disease definition , classification , epidemiology and course of schizophrenia , as well as the management of the acute phase treatment . These guidelines are primarily concerned with the biological treatment ( including antipsychotic medication , other pharmacological treatment options , electroconvulsive therapy , adjunctive and novel therapeutic strategies ) of adults suffering from schizophrenia BACKGROUND The role of folate , vitamin B(12 ) and homocysteine levels in depression is not clear . AIMS To investigate cross-sectional and prospect i ve associations between folate , B(12 ) and homocysteine levels and late-life depression . METHOD A total of 732 Korean people aged 65 years or over were evaluated at baseline . Of the 631 persons who were not depressed , 521 ( 83 % ) were followed over a period of 2 - 3 years and incident depression was ascertained with the Geriatric Mental State schedule .  Serum folate , serum vitamin B(12 ) and plasma homocysteine levels were assayed at both baseline and follow-up . RESULTS Lower levels of folate and vitamin B(12 ) and higher homocysteine levels at baseline were associated with a higher risk of incident depression at follow-up . Incident depression was associated with a decline in vitamin B(12 ) and an increase in homocysteine levels over the follow-up period . CONCLUSIONS Lower folate , lower vitamin B(12 ) and raised homocysteine levels may be risk factors for late-life depression Background Depression is a common mental health disorder for which clinical practice guidelines have been developed . Prior systematic review s have identified complex organizational interventions , such as collaborative care , as effective for guideline implementation ; yet , many healthcare delivery organizations are interested in less re source -intensive methods to increase provider adherence to guidelines and guideline -concordant practice s. The objective of this systematic review was to assess the effectiveness of  healthcare provider  interventions that aim to increase adherence to evidence -based treatment of depression in routine clinical practice . Methods We search ed five data bases through August 2017 using a comprehensive search strategy to identify English- language r and omized controlled trials ( RCTs ) in the quality improvement , implementation science , and behavior change literature that evaluated outpatient provider interventions , in the absence of practice re design efforts , to increase adherence to treatment guidelines or guideline -concordant practice s for depression . We used meta- analysis to summarize odds ratios , st and ardized mean differences , and incidence rate ratios , and assessed quality of evidence ( QoE ) using the GRADE approach . Results Twenty-two RCTs promoting adherence to clinical practice guidelines or guideline -concordant practice s met inclusion criteria . Studies evaluated diverse provider interventions , including distributing guidelines to providers , education/training such as academic detailing , and combinations of education with other components such as targeting implementation barriers . Results were heterogeneous and analyses comparing provider interventions with usual clinical practice did not indicate a statistically significant difference in guideline adherence across studies . There was some evidence that provider interventions improved individual outcomes such as medication prescribing and indirect comparisons indicated more complex provider interventions may be associated with more favorable outcomes . We did not identify types of provider interventions that were consistently associated with improvements across indicators of adherence and across studies . Effects on patients ’ health in these RCTs were inconsistent across studies and outcomes . Conclusions Existing RCTs describe a range of provider interventions to increase adherence to depression guidelines . Low QoE and lack of replication of specific intervention strategies across studies limited conclusions that can be drawn from the existing research . Continued efforts are needed to identify successful strategies to maximize the impact of provider interventions on increasing adherence to evidence -based treatment for depression . Trial registration PROSPERO record CRD42017060460 on Background To improve quality of care and patient outcomes , health system decision-makers need to identify and implement effective interventions . An increasing number of systematic review s document the effects of quality improvement programs to assist decision-makers in developing new initiatives . However , limitations in the reporting of primary studies and current meta- analysis methods ( including approaches for exploring heterogeneity ) reduce the utility of existing syntheses for health system decision-makers . This study will explore the role of innovative meta- analysis approaches and the added value of enriched and up date d data for increasing the utility of systematic review s of complex interventions . Methods / Design We will use the data set from our recent systematic review of 142 r and omized trials of diabetes quality improvement programs  to evaluate novel approaches for exploring heterogeneity . These will include exploratory methods , such as multivariate meta-regression analyses and all-subsets combinatorial meta- analysis . We will then up date our systematic review to include new trials and enrich the data set by surveying authors of all included trials . In doing so , we will explore the impact of variables not , reported in previous publications , such as details of study context , on the effectiveness of the intervention . We will use innovative analytical methods on the enriched and up date d data set to identify key success factors in the implementation of  quality improvement interventions  for diabetes . Decision-makers will be involved throughout to help identify and prioritize variables to be explored and to aid in the interpretation and dissemination of results . Discussion This study will inform future systematic review s of complex interventions and describe the value of enriching and updating data for exploring heterogeneity in meta- analysis . It will also result in an up date d comprehensive systematic review of diabetes quality improvement interventions that will be useful to health system decision-makers in developing interventions to improve outcomes for people with diabetes . Systematic review registration PROSPERO registration no. CONTEXT The findings of systematic review s ( SRs ) and meta-analyses ( MAs ) are used for clinical decision making . The European Association of Urology has committed increasing re sources into the development of high quality clinical guidelines based on such SRs and MAs . OBJECTIVE In this paper , we have summarised the process of conducting SRs for underpinning clinical practice guidelines under the auspices of the European Association of Urology Guidelines Office . EVIDENCE ACQUISITION The process involves explicit methods and the findings should be reproducible . When conducting a SR , the essential first step is to formulate a clear and answerable research question . An extensive literature search lays the foundation for evidence synthesis . Data are extracted independently by two review ers and any disagreements are resolved by discussion or arbitration by a third review er . EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS In SRs , data for particular outcomes in individual r and omised controlled trials may be combined statistically in a meta- analysis to increase power when the studies are similar enough . Biases in studies included in a SR/MA can lead to either an over estimation or an under estimation of true intervention effect size , result ing in heterogeneity in outcome between studies . A number of different tools are available such as Cochrane Risk of Bias assessment tool for r and omised controlled trials . In circumstances where there is too much heterogeneity , or when a review has included nonr and omised comparative studies , it is more appropriate to conduct a narrative synthesis . The GRADE tool for assessing quality of evidence strives to be a structured and transparent system , which can be applied to all evidence , regardless of quality . A SR not only identifies , evaluates , and summarises the best available evidence , but also the gaps to be targeted by future studies . CONCLUSIONS SRs and MAs are integral in developing sound clinical practice guidelines and recommendations . PATIENT SUMMARY Clinical practice guidelines should be evidence based , and systematic review s and meta-analyses are essential in their production . We have discussed the key steps of conducting systematic review s and meta-analyses in this paper BACKGROUND Frailty is common in older age , and is associated with important adverse health outcomes including increased risk of disability and long-term care admission . OBJECTIVES To evaluate whether home-based exercise interventions improve outcomes for frail older people . DATA SOURCES We search ed systematic ally for r and omised controlled trials ( RCTs ) and cluster RCTs , with literature search ing to February 2010 . STUDY SELECTION All trials that evaluated home-based exercise interventions for frail older people were eligible . Primary outcomes were mobility , quality of life and daily living activities . Secondary outcomes included long-term care admission and hospitalisation . RESULTS Six RCTs involving 987 participants met the inclusion criteria . Four trials were considered of high quality . One high quality trial reported improved disability in those with moderate but not severe frailty . Meta- analysis of long-term care admission rates identified a trend towards reduced risk . Inconsistent effects on other primary and secondary outcomes were reported in the other studies . CONCLUSIONS There is preliminary evidence that home-based exercise interventions may improve disability in older people with moderate , but not severe , frailty . There is considerable uncertainty regarding effects on important outcomes including quality of life and long-term care admission .  Home-based exercises are a potentially simple , safe and widely applicable intervention to prevent dependency decline for frail older people OBJECTIVES The objective of this review was to assess the effectiveness of interventions that assist caregivers to provide support for people living with dementia in the community . INCLUSION CRITERIA Types of participants Adult caregivers who provide support for people with dementia living in the community ( non-institutional care).Types of interventions Interventions design ed to support caregivers in their role such as skills training , education to assist in caring for a person living with dementia and support groups/programs . Interventions of formal approaches to care design ed to support caregivers in their role , care planning , case management and specially design ated members of the healthcare team - for example dementia nurse specialist or volunteers trained in caring for someone with dementia . Types of studies This review considered any meta-analyses , systematic review s , r and omised control trials , quasi-experimental studies , cohort studies , case control studies and observational studies without control groups that addressed the effectiveness of interventions that assist caregivers to provide support for people living with dementia in the community . SEARCH STRATEGY The search sought to identify published studies from 2000 to 2005 through the use of electronic data bases . Only studies in English were considered for inclusion . The initial search was conducted of the data bases , CINAHL , MEDLINE and PsychINFO using search strategies adapted from the Cochrane Dementia and Cognitive Improvement Group . A second more extensive search was then conducted using the appropriate Medical Subject Headings ( MeSH ) and keywords for other available data bases . Finally , h and search ing of reference lists of articles retrieved and of core dementia , geriatric and psycho geriatric journals was undertaken . ASSESSMENT OF QUALITY Method ological quality of each of the articles was assessed by two independent review ers using appraisal checklist developed by the Joanna Briggs Institute and based on the work of the Cochrane Collaboration and Centre for Review s and Dissemination . DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS St and ardised mean differences or weighted mean differences and their 95 % confidence intervals were calculated for each included study reported in the meta- analysis . Results from comparable groups of studies were pooled in statistical meta- analysis using Review Manager Software from the Cochrane Collaboration . Heterogeneity between combined studies was tested using st and ard chi-square test . Where statistical pooling was not appropriate or possible , the findings are summarised in narrative form . RESULTS A comprehensive search of relevant data bases , h and search ing and cross referencing found 685 articles that were assessed for relevance to the review . Eighty-five papers appeared to meet the inclusion criteria based on title and abstract , and the full paper was retrieved . Of the 85 full papers review ed , 40 were accepted for inclusion , three were systematic review s , three were meta- analysis , and the remaining 34 were r and omised controlled trials . For the r and omised controlled trials that were able to be included in a meta- analysis , st and ardised mean differences or weighted mean differences and their 95 % confidence intervals were calculated for each . Results from comparable groups of studies were pooled in statistical meta- analysis using Review Manager Software and heterogeneity between combined studies was assessed by using the chi-square test . Where statistical pooling was not appropriate or possible , the findings are summarised in narrative form . The results are discussed in two main sections . Firstly it was possible to assess the effectiveness of different types of caregiver interventions on the outcome categories of depression , health , subjective well-being , self-efficacy and burden . Secondly , results are reported by main outcome category . For each of these sections , meta- analysis was conducted where it was possible ; otherwise , a narrative summary describes the findings . EFFECTIVENESS OF INTERVENTION TYPE Four categories of intervention were included in the review - psycho-educational , support , multi-component and other . Psycho-educational Thirteen studies used  psycho-educational interventions  , and all but one showed positive results across a range of outcomes . Eight studies were entered in a meta- analysis . No significant impact of psycho-educational interventions was found for the outcome categories of subjective well-being , self-efficacy or health . However , small but significant results were found for the categories of depression and burden . Support Seven studies discussed support only interventions and two of these showed significant results . These two studies were suitable for meta- analysis and demonstrated a small but significant improvement on caregiver burden . Multi-component Twelve of the studies report multi-component interventions and 10 of these report significant outcomes across a broad range of outcome measures including self-efficacy , depression , subjective well-being and burden . Unfortunately because of the heterogeneity of study design s and outcome measures , no meta- analysis was possible . Other interventions Other interventions included the use of exercise or nutrition which result ed in improvements in psychological distress and health benefits . Case management and a computer aided support intervention provided mixed results . One cognitive behavioural therapy study reported a reduction in anxiety and positive impacts on patient behaviour . EFFECTIVENESS OF INTERVENTIONS USING SPECIFIC OUTCOME CATEGORIES In addition to analysis by type of intervention it was possible to analyse results based on some outcome categories that were used across the studies . In particular the impact of interventions on caregiver depression was available for meta- analysis from eight studies . This indicated that multi-component and psycho-educational interventions showed a small but significant positive effect on caregiver depression . Five studies using the outcome category of caregiver burden  were entered into a meta- analysis and findings indicated that there were no significant effects of any of interventions . No meta- analysis was possible for the outcome categories of health , self-efficacy or subjective well-being . IMPLICATION S FOR PRACTICE From this review there is evidence to support the use of well- design ed psycho-educational or multi-component interventions for caregivers of people with dementia who live in the community . Factors that appear to positively contribute to effective interventions are those which : Factors which do not appear to have benefit in interventions are those which Background : Determinants of one-carbon metabolism , such as folate and vitamin B12 , have been implicated in cancer development . Previous studies have not provided conclusive evidence for the importance of circulating concentrations of folate and vitamin B12 in prostate cancer etiology . The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between prostate cancer risk and circulating concentrations of folate and vitamin B12 in a large prospect i ve cohort . Methods : We analyzed circulating concentrations of folate and vitamin B12 in 869 cases and 1,174 controls , individually matched on center , age , and date of recruitment , nested within the European Prospect i ve Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition cohort .  Relative risks ( RR ) for prostate cancer were estimated using conditional logistic regression models . Results : Overall , no significant associations were observed for circulating concentrations of folate ( Ptrend = 0.62 ) or vitamin B12 ( Ptrend = 0.21 ) with prostate cancer risk . RRs for a doubling in folate and vitamin B12 concentrations were 1.03 [ 95 % confidence interval ( 95 % CI ) , 0.92 - 1.16 ] and 1.12 ( 95 % CI , 0.94 - 1.35 ) , respectively . In the subgroup of cases diagnosed with advanced stage prostate cancer , elevated concentrations of vitamin B12 were associated with increased risk ( RR for a doubling in concentration , 1.69 ; 95 % CI , 1.05 - 2.72 , Ptrend = 0.03 ) . No other subgroup analyses result ed in a statistically significant association . Conclusion : This study does not provide strong support for an association between prostate cancer risk and circulating concentrations of folate or vitamin B12 . Elevated concentrations of vitamin B12 may be associated with an increased risk for advanced stage prostate cancer , but this association requires examination in other large prospect i ve studies . ( Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2007;17(2):279–85 BACKGROUND Simulation-based training has been an important part of the solution to address the shortfalls in cardiac surgery training . This review was conducted to identify and systematic ally summarize existing evidence on outcomes and method ological quality of  simulation-based skills training  for cardiac surgery trainees . METHODS MEDLINE , Embase , and ERIC ( Education Re sources Information Center ) data bases were search ed . Studies included peer- review ed publications with simulation-based skill training in cardiac surgery programs with outcome measures of performance . Data extraction covered the type of skills training , simulator type and fidelity , the level of trainees , assessment tools , assessors , study design and its components , strengths and limitations , and elements required for the Medical Education Research Study Quality Instrument score . The review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review s and Meta-Analyses guidelines . RESULTS Of 16 studies that met the criteria , only four ( 25 % ) r and omized controlled trials were identified , and the remaining were observational studies . Seven observational studies ( 43.7 % ) were single-group pre-post tests . The  mean number of trainees was 20.4 ( SD , 14.1 ) .  Low-fidelity simulators were used in 13 studies ( 81.2 % ) . Most of the studies ( 81.3 % ) were high quality based on a Medical Education Research Study Quality Instrument score of 12 or more . Evidence of assessment tool validation was absent among all studies . No study outcome measures were directed to skills transfer to the operating room or patient outcomes . Overall learning outcomes ' effect sizes were consistently high ( 2.2 ; SD , 1.6 ) , with junior residents benefitting most ( effect size , 2.8 ; SD , 2.2 ) CONCLUSIONS : Simulation-based skill training is associated with improved learning outcomes for cardiac surgery trainees with large effect sizes , but more behavior-level outcomes are required to fully assess its value BACKGROUND There is increasing interest from review authors about including  non-r and omized studies  ( NRS ) in their systematic review s of health care interventions . This series from the Ottawa Non-R and omized Studies Workshop consists of six papers identifying method ological issues when doing this . AIM To format the guidance from the preceding papers on study design and bias , confounding and meta- analysis , selective reporting , and applicability/directness into checklists of issues for review authors to consider when including NRS in a systematic review . CHECKLISTS Checklists were devised providing frameworks to describe/assess : ( 1 ) study design s based on study design features ; ( 2 ) risk of residual confounding and when to consider meta-analysing data from NRS ; ( 3 ) risk of selective reporting based on the Cochrane framework for detecting selective outcome reporting in trials but extended to selective reporting of analyses ; and ( 4 ) directness of evidence contributed by a study to aid integration of NRS findings into summary of findings tables . SUMMARY The checklists described will allow review groups to operationalize the inclusion of NRS in systematic review s in a more consistent way . The next major step is extending the existing Cochrane Risk of Bias tool so that it can assess the risk of bias to NRS included in a review . Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons ,
Conclusion : Low folate and B12 serum levels seem to be associated with  depression in the aged .
Objectives : To systematic ally review and meta-analyse existing evidence on the association between folate/B12 , and depression among the aged people .