We observed an association between intake of Fe-fortified foods  and Hb concentration in children aged < 10 years .
Fe-fortified foods could be an effective strategy for reducing Fe-deficiency anaemia in children
OBJECTIVE To combine evidence from r and omized controlled trials to assess the effect of Fe-fortified foods on mean Hb concentration in children ( < 10 years ) .
Do certain countries produce only positive results? A systematic review of controlled trials.
OBJECTIVE To determine whether clinical trials originating in certain countries always have positive results . DATA SOURCES Abstract s of trials from Medline ( January 1966-June 1995 ) . STUDY SELECTION Two separate studies were conducted . The first included trials in which the clinical outcome of a group of subjects receiving acupuncture  was compared to that of a group receiving placebo , no treatment , or a nonacupuncture intervention . In the second study , r and omized or controlled trials of interventions other than  acupuncture  that were published in China , Japan , Russia/USSR , or Taiwan were compared to those published in Engl and . DATA EXTRACTION Blinded review ers determined inclusion and outcome and separately classified each trial by country of origin . DATA SYNTHESIS In the study of acupuncture  trials , 252 of 1085 abstract s met the inclusion criteria . Research conducted in certain countries was uniformly favorable to acupuncture ; all trials originating in China , Japan , Hong Kong , and Taiwan were positive , as were 10 out of 11 of those published in Russia/USSR . In studies that examined interventions other than acupuncture , 405 of 1100 abstract s met the inclusion criteria . Of trials published in Engl and , 75 % gave the test treatment as superior to control . The results for China , Japan , Russia/USSR , and Taiwan were 99 % , 89 % , 97 % , and 95 % , respectively . No trial published in China or Russia/USSR found a test treatment to be ineffective . CONCLUSIONS Some countries publish unusually high proportions of positive results . Publication bias is a possible explanation . Research ers undertaking systematic review s should consider carefully how to manage data from these countries
We observed an association between intake of Fe-fortified foods  and Hb concentration in children aged < 10 years .
Fe-fortified foods could be an effective strategy for reducing Fe-deficiency anaemia in children
OBJECTIVE To combine evidence from r and omized controlled trials to assess the effect of Fe-fortified foods on mean Hb concentration in children ( < 10 years ) .