The reporting quality of SRs has improved 3 y after publication of SR reporting st and ards , but the reporting of nutrition variables has not .
Improved adherence to consensus methods and reporting st and ards should improve the utility of nutrition SRs
BACKGROUND The quality of nutrition-related systematic review s ( SRs ) is an unstudied but important factor affecting their usefulness .
OBJECTIVES The objectives were to evaluate the reporting quality of published SRs and to identify areas of improvement .
Is There a “Best” Way to Detect and Minimize Publication Bias?
Using 14 meta-analyses that included both published ( n = 199 ) and unpublished ( n = 50 ) r and omized trials , we evaluated the utility of different analytical approaches to detect , assess robustness , and minimize publication bias in meta- analysis . The rank correlation and graphical tests indicated funnel plot asymmetry in 3 and 7 of the 14 meta-analyses , respectively . The file drawer number estimates using Iyengar-Greenhouse method were between 1.5 and 4.7 times smaller compared to Rosenthal ’s estimates . The median difference between the Trim and Fill estimates and the actual number of missing studies was 1 ( range -4 , 6 ) . Weighted estimation methods adjusted for publication bias and provided estimates of intervention effect close to the reference st and ard , on average . We showed there are differences in the conclusions one would reach clinical ly based on the different analytical approaches dealing with publication bias . Our results also suggest that the appropriate use of these methods improves the reliability and accuracy of meta- analysis
The reporting quality of SRs has improved 3 y after publication of SR reporting st and ards , but the reporting of nutrition variables has not .
Improved adherence to consensus methods and reporting st and ards should improve the utility of nutrition SRs
BACKGROUND The quality of nutrition-related systematic review s ( SRs ) is an unstudied but important factor affecting their usefulness .
OBJECTIVES The objectives were to evaluate the reporting quality of published SRs and to identify areas of improvement .