DigitalUM :: Browsing by Subject "Meta-analysis"

Browsing by Subject "Meta-analysis"

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Open Access
A reliability generalization meta-analysis of the dimensional obsessive-compulsive scale
(2021-02) Rubén López-Nicolás; María Rubio-Aparicio; Carmen López-Ibáñez; Julio Sánchez-Meca; López Nicolás, Rubén; Rubio Aparicio, María; López-Ibáñez, Carmen; Sánchez Meca, Julio; Psicología Básica y Metodología
Background: The Dimensional Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (DOCS) is a well-established tool for assessing obsessive-compulsive symptomatology. A reliability generalization meta-analysis was conducted to estimate the average reliability of DOCS scores and how reliability estimates vary according to the composition and variability of samples, to identify study characteristics that can explain its variability, and to estimate the reliability induction rate. Method: A literature search produced 86 studies that met the inclusion criteria. Results: For the DOCS total scores, an average alpha coefficient of .925 was found (95% CI [.920,.931]), as well as mean alphas of .881, .905, .913, and .914 for Contamination, Responsibility, Unacceptable Thoughts, and Symmetry subscales, respectively. Moderator analysis showed that internal consistency fell signifi cantly the more clinical and subclinical participants there were in the sample, and the larger the mean score in the sample for the total scores. The most important moderator variables for the subscales were the standard deviation and the mean of the scores. Conclusions: The DOCS scores exhibited excellent internal consistency reliability for both total score and subscale scores and DOCS is suitable both for research and clinical purposes.
Open Access
A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Serum Adiponectin Measurements in the Framework of Dog Obesity
(2020-09-14) Muñoz-Prieto, Alberto; Cerón, José Joaquín; Martínez-Subiela, Silvia; Mrljak, Vladimir; Tvarijonaviciute, Asta; Medicina y Cirugía Animal
Adiponectin is an abundant plasma protein that is closely related to obesity and obesity-related pathologies. The molecule can be found in three different isoforms, each with different biological activities. Studies on canine obesity have suggested that adiponectin concentrations are decreased in obesity; however, no canine meta-analyses have been performed that feature all the required data. The aim of this study is to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies that pertain to total and high molecular weight (HMW) adiponectin in relation to canine obesity. From 20 different studies, a total of 366 dogs with obesity and 349 normal weight dogs are included in the meta-analysis. Client-owned dogs were most represented, accounting for 54.3% of the dogs used, while experimental dogs enrolled in the studies made up the remaining 45.7%. The concentrations of total adiponectin in dogs with obesity were significantly lower compared with normal weight dogs. Additionally, adiponectin concentrations were significantly higher in dogs after a successful weight loss protocol compared to the start of the protocol and were significantly lower in dogs after gaining weight. In conclusion, although caution should be taken due to the relatively low number of studies that exist and the high heterogeneity between them, this meta-analysis indicates that adiponectin is decreased in obese dogs.
Open Access
A systematic review and meta-analysis of the serological diagnosis of Toxoplasma gondii infection highlight the lack of a One Health integrative research
(Elsevier, 2023-01-10) Huertas López, Ana; Álvarez García, Gema; Sánchez Sánchez, Roberto; Cantos Barreda, Ana; Ibáñez López, Francisco José; Martínez Subiela, Silvia; Cerón Madrigal, José Joaquín; Martínez-Carrasco Pleite, Carlos; Sanidad Animal; Facultades de la UMU::Facultad de Veterinaria
Toxoplasma gondii is a globally distributed food-borne zoonotic parasite with numerous infection sources. The control of this zoonosis requires a One Health response that partially depends on serological monitoring in humans and animals. Herein, a systematic review and a meta-analysis were performed to analyse and compare the transdisciplinary and integrative research under the One Health approach. We searched for articles published between January 1st 2014 and September 5th 2022, focused on the development and evaluation of serological techniques for the diagnosis of T. gondii infection in humans and animals. After an exhaustive search on three scientific databases, a quality assessment was performed on 291 articles by QUADAS-2 tool, and 113 articles were finally selected. A total of 18 variables were extracted and analysed, including bibliometric characteristics, study aims and methodology. Remarkably, none of the studies included in the meta-analysis explicitly quoted the words “One Health”, and only 23.9% of them alluded to the principles underlying the One Health approach; in particular, none were conducted by physician-only teams, with the majority of these studies involving interdisciplinary research teams, followed by veterinarians and by non-physician or non-veterinarian researchers. The One Health approach followed in the serodiagnosis of T. gondii still needs further integration among scientific disciplines, which is essential to design effective control strategies.
Open Access
Adherencia a la declaración PRISMA en los meta-análisis de intervenciones experimentales publicados en Educación: una meta-revisión sistemática
(Ministerio de Educación y Formación Profesional, 2026-04-01) Sánchez Martín, Micaela; Gutiérrez Sánchez, Marta; Olmedo-Moreno, Eva María; Navarro Mateu, Fernando; Teoría e Historia de la Educación; Facultad de Educación
Objective: To assess adherence to the PRISMA statement in meta-analyses of educational interventions aimed at improving academic performance between 2009 and 2022. Method: Systematic review. Eligibility criteria: Meta-analyses of experimental studies evaluating educational interventions designed to improve academic performance, published in English or Spanish between January 1, 2009, and April 30, 2022. Exclusion criteria: Other designs or outcomes, and inaccessible publications. Bibliographic search: Conducted in four databases (ERIC, Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed). Data extraction: Based on a previously developed and registered protocol. Data: Adherence to PRISMA recommendations, risk of bias according to AMSTAR 2, and various characteristics of published studies.Statistical analyses: Chi-square test or Fisher’s exact test. As measures of association, odds ratios and ß were calculated, with 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) and p-values through logistic and linear regression analyses. Results: Out of 2,076 identified studies, 69 were included. The mean PRISMA score was 19.7 (SD = 4.4) out of 27. A total of 51.8% (n = 14) of the recommendations had adherence rates above 75%. Significant differences were found in adherence to the recommendations depending on whether the authors declared compliance with PRISMA in 14 of the 27 items (51.8%). Compliance with 13 of the 27 recommendations (48.1%) was associated with a lower risk of bias. PRISMA adherence was associated with lower risk of bias, more recent publication, health-related education, and interventions involving physical activities in higher education. Conclusions: Adherence to PRISMA in published educational meta-analyses of experimental interventions to improve academic performance is clearly improvable.
Open Access
An automated process for supporting decisions in clustering-based data analysis
(Elsevier, ) Bernabé Díaz, José Antonio; Franco Nicolás, Manuel; Vivo Molina, Juana María; Quesada Martínez, Manuel; Fernández Breis, Jesualdo Tomás; Informática y Sistemas; Estadística e Investigación Operativa
Open Access
Association between interleukin-10 gene polymorphisms and risk of oral carcinoma: A meta-analysis
(Universidad de Murcia, Departamento de Biologia Celular e Histiologia, 2020) Li, Fan; Xu, Xing; Xuan, Chao; Chen, Wan-Tao
Background. The single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of Interleukin-10 (IL-10) gene have been linked with the risk of oral carcinoma (OC) in a relatively small sample size. Our study aims to investigate the pooled associations by conducting a meta-analysis of published studies. Methods. PubMed, Web of Science and Google Scholar databases were searched to identify eligible studies published in English before October 2019. The odds ratio (OR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI) was used to assess association. The publication bias was detected by Begg's test. Sensitivity and cumulative analyses were performed to evaluate the stability of crude results. Results. The meta-analysis involved eight studies. Significant associations were certified between IL-10 gene -1082A/G polymorphism and susceptibility of OC for A vs. G (OR=1.817, 95% CI: 1.481-2.230), AA vs. GG (OR=3.436, 95% CI: 2.281-5.175), dominant genetic model (OR=2.913, 95% CI: 1.939-4.376), and recessive genetic model (OR=1.886, 95% CI: 1.372- 2.594) in overall population, East Asians and South Asians. In addition, the significant association between - 592A/C polymorphism of the gene and susceptibility of OC were detected in South Asians. Conclusions. The meta-analysis results support that the IL-10 gene -1082G allele is a risk factor for OC in East Asians and South Asians, and IL-10 gene -592C allele is a protective factor for the disease.
Open Access
Diferencias en el autoconcepto entre alumnado con altas capacidades y alumnado general: un metaanálisis desde 2005 hasta 2020
(Universidad de Murcia. Servicio de Publicaciones, 2022) Fernández Bustos, Juan Gregorio; Palomares Ruiz, Ascensión; Contreras Jordán, Onofre R.; Infantes Paniagua, Álvaro
Los estudiantes con altas capacidades, aquellos que presentan una mayor probabilidad de lograr metas extraordinarias en uno o más do-minios, generalmente difieren del alumnado general en algunas de las di-mensiones del autoconcepto, o la percepción que tiene una persona de sí misma. Sin embargo, la investigación actual sobre altas capacidades ha evo-lucionado introduciendo nuevos posibles moderadores en estas diferencias por lo que se hace necesaria una actualización sobre el tema. El objetivo del presente metaanálisis (referencia: CRD42018094723) fue sintetizar los es-tudios desde 2005 sobre las diferencias en el autoconcepto entre estudian-tes con altas capacidades y alumnado general. Los resultados mostraron que los alumnos con altas capacidades presentan niveles superiores de au-toconcepto global y académico, especialmente el matemático. Sin embargo, no se hallaron diferencias en autoconceptos conductual y emocional, y hu-bo puntuaciones levemente más bajas en autoconcepto social. En el auto-concepto físico, estos estudiantes puntúan notablemente más bajo que el alumnado general. Las diferencias en esta subdimensión están moderadas por los procedimientos de identificación, la procedencia y la edad, por lo que se sugieren que los estereotipos sociales acerca de las altas capacidades, así como los hábitos de actividad física podrían estar detrás de las dichas di-ferencias.
Open Access
Una evaluación meta-analítica de la relevancia valorativa de la cifra de beneficios
(2006) García-Meca, Emma; Sánchez-Ballesta, Juan Pedro
En este trabajo integramos, a través del meta-análisis, los diversos resultados obtenidos en investigaciones previas sobre la relevancia valorativa de la cifra de beneficios. Analizamos para los dos modelos utilizados en esta línea de investigación, precios y rentabilidad, la influencia de diversas variables sobre el coeficiente de respuesta del resultado y el coeficiente de determinación. La evidencia obtenida muestra que el tipo de sistema contable, el periodo analizado y el diseño del modelo de valoración son factores que explican la heterogeneidad de los resultados obtenidos en estudios previos
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Improving the reporting quality of reliability generalization meta-analyses: The REGEMA checklist
(Wiley Online Library, 2021-03-20) Sánchez-Meca, Julio; Marín-Martínez, Fulgencio; López-López, José Antonio; Núñez-Núñez, Rosa Maria; Rubio-Aparicio, María; López-García, Juan José; López-Pina, José Antonio; Blázquez-Rincón, Desirée Mª; López-Ibáñez, Carmen; López-Nicolás, Rubén; Psicología Básica y Metodología
Reliability generalization (RG) is a meta-analytic approach that aims to characterize how reliability estimates from the same test vary across different applications of the instrument. With this purpose RG meta-analyses typically focus on a particular test and intend to obtain an overall reliability of test scores and to investigate how the composition and variability of the samples affect reliability. Although several guidelines have been proposed in the meta-analytic literature to help authors improve the reporting quality of meta-analyses, none of them were devised for RG meta-analyses. The purpose of this investigation was to develop REGEMA (REliability GEneralization Meta-Analysis), a 30-item checklist (plus a flow chart) adapted to the specific issues that the reporting of an RG meta-analysis must take into account. Based on previous checklists and guidelines proposed in the meta-analytic arena, a first version was elaborated by applying the nominal group methodology. The resulting instrument was submitted to a list of independent meta-analysis experts and, after discussion, the final version of the REGEMA checklist was reached. In a pilot study, four pairs of coders applied REGEMA to a random sample of 40 RG meta-analyses in Psychology, and results showed satisfactory inter-coder reliability. REGEMA can be used by: (a) meta-analysts conducting or reporting an RG meta-analysis and aiming to improve its reporting quality; (b) consumers of RG meta-analyses who want to make informed critical appraisals of their reporting quality, and (c) reviewers and editors of journals who are considering submissions where an RG meta-analysis was reported for potential publication.
Open Access
La Investigación en la Didáctica de las Ciencias Experimentales
(Universidad de Murcia. Servicio de Publicaciones, 2011) De Pro Bueno, Antonio; Rodríguez Moreno, Javier
El trabajo tiene como objetivo analizar algunas aportaciones en la Didáctica de las Ciencias Experimentales (DCE) en la Educación Primaria. En primer lugar, se revisan algunas contribuciones realizadas en este campo (sus finalidades, las estrategias utilizadas, las conclusiones a las que se han llegado). La base documental estaba constituida por las comunicaciones presentadas en los tres últimos Encuentros de Didáctica de las Ciencias Experimentales, evento que tradicionalmente ha tenido una nutrida representación de los formadores de maestros y, por tanto, idóneo para la difusión de los trabajos en esta etapa educativa. En cuanto al protocolo de análisis, ha girado en torno a los cuatro interrogantes clásicos: quién ha investigado, qué se ha investigado, cómo se ha hecho y a qué conclusiones ha llegado. Los resultados ponen de manifiesto algunas situaciones preocupantes. Por un lado, sorprende el número escaso de investigaciones realizadas por los formadores de maestros sobre esta etapa educativa. Por otro, se detectan deficiencias en la delimitación de los marcos teóricos, los diseños empíricos, la coherencia de las conclusiones… que deberían ser revisados por el colectivo implicado.
Open Access
Metaanálisis sobre la eficacia de las intervenciones logopédicas en el desarrollo del lenguaje en el síndromeX frágil
(2026-05) Cascales Martínez, Antonia; Gómez Navarro, Carmen María; Peñalver García, Dolores María; Sin departamento asociado
Background and objective: Fragile X Syndrome (FXS) is associated with significant impairments in expressive, receptive, and pragmatic language development. Although various speech and language interventions have been proposed, empirical evidence regarding their efficacy remains limited and fragmented. This study aimed to estimate the effectiveness of speech and language interventions on expressive, receptive, and pragmatic-narrative domains in individuals with FXS, and to identify clinical and methodological moderators explaining variability in effect sizes. Materials and methods: A meta-analysis was conducted following the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Studies were searched in PubMed and Scopus, supplemented by reference tracking. Eligible studies included interventions targeting linguistic outcomes and used between-group (main synthesis) or pre-post (sensitivity) designs allowing the calculation of standardised effect sizes (Hedges’ g) under a random-effects model. To prevent double counting, one primary outcome per domain was selected: number of different words (NDW) for expressive language and total inferential language score for the pragmatic-narrative domain.
Open Access
Mindfulness-based psychotherapy in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder: a meta-analytical Study
(Elsevier, 2022-07-12) Riquelme Marín, Antonio; Rosa Alcázar, Ana Isabel; Ortigosa Quiles, Juan Manuel; Personalidad, Evaluación y Tratamiento Psicológicos; Facultad de Psicología y Logopedia
Background/Objective: Obsessive compulsive disorder is a disorder of special relevance in mental health, however, not all patients respond adequately to traditional intervention systems. The present work aims to study the usefulness of mindfulness-based interventions in patients with obsessive compulsive disorder. Method: An exhaustive search of the literature between 1996 and 2021 allowed us to locate 11 published articles. The effect size was the pretest-posttest standardized mean change calculated for obsession-compulsion, as well as depression symptoms and conscious coping. Results: he results showed mean effect sizes for mindfulness in the reduction of obsessive-compulsive symptoms (d + = 0.648) and, to a lesser extent, depression (d + = 0.417) and the improvement in Mindfull coping (d + = 0.509). There was no significant decrease in effect size when mindfulness was applied in patients with residual symptoms from previous treatments. Conclusions: These results are promising regarding the usefulness of the application of intervention programs based on mindfulness in people with obsessive compulsive disorder, both as an alternative option and as a complementary treatment to more traditional intervention formats.
Embargo
Prenatal vitamin D status and respiratory and allergic outcomes in childhood: A meta-analysis of observational studies
(2018-05) Pacheco-González, Rosa M.; Garcia-Marcos, Luis; Morales, Eva; Ciencias Sociosanitarias
Background: Prenatal vitamin D status may influence offspring’s respiratory and allergic outcomes; however, evidence is inconclusive. A systematic review and metaanalysis were conducted on the association between 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH) D] levels in maternal blood in pregnancy or cord blood at birth with the risk of offspring’s respiratory and allergic conditions. Methods: Two independent researchers conducted systematic searches for observational studies published until May 2017 using defined keywords on vitamin D and health outcomes, including respiratory tract infections (RTIs), wheeze, asthma, atopic eczema, allergic rhinitis, allergic sensitization, and lung function. Random-effects meta-analyses were conducted. Results: A total of 34 from 547 retrieved articles were included. Increased prenatal exposure to 25(OH)D was inversely associated with risk of RTIs. Comparing the highest with the lowest category of 25(OH)D levels, the pooled odds ratio was 0.64 (95% CI 0.47, 0.87). A positive borderline association was found for lung function at school age (FEV1 z-score coefficient 0.07, 95% CI -0.01, 0.15). No associations were found for wheeze, asthma, atopic eczema, allergic rhinitis, and allergic sensitization. Conclusion: The introduction of public health measures to tackle vitamin D status in pregnancy may reduce the burden of RTIs in offspring. Current evidence does not support an impact on asthma and allergy.
Open Access
Prevalence of Symptom Overreporting in the Structured Inventory of Malingered Symptomatology (SIMS) in Clinical Patients: A Meta- Analysis
(2024-10-03) Puente López, Esteban; Pina, David; Dandachi-FitzGerald, Brechje; Giromini, Luciano; López Nicolás, Rubén; Nieto Cañaveras, María Dolores; Merten, Thomas; Psiquiatría y Psicología Social
Antecedentes: Los fallos en las pruebas de validez de síntomas (puntuar por encima del punto de corte establecido) pueden producirse en diversos contextos y situaciones, incluidos los entornos clínicos rutinarios. Hasta la fecha, ningún metaanálisis se ha centrado en la tasa de fallos del Inventario Estructurado de Simulación de Síntomas (SIMS) en evaluaciones clínicas. Método: Se realizó un meta-análisis de efectos aleatorios binomial-normal para estimar la tasa de fallos combinada del SIMS entre pacientes con un diagnóstico clínico que fueron evaluados en un entorno no forense. Resultados: Se incluyeron 34 estudios y 40 muestras (n = 8844). La puntuación media total del SIMS fue de 15.9 (DE = 5.2). La tasa global estimada de fallo de la SIMS fue del 36% (IC del 95%: 30%-43%; I2 = 96.6%, p < .001). Conclusiones: Existe una elevada tasa de fallo en el SIMS en poblaciones de pacientes clínicos; sin embargo, estos resultados positivos no son necesariamente falsos positivos. El reto metodológico de diferenciar los verdaderos de los falsos positivos es vital y debería dictar tanto la planificación cuidadosa de futuros estudios como la circunspección en la interpretación de las tasas de fallo de las pruebas de validez en las evaluaciones clínicas
Open Access
Quality of flowcharts in meta-analyses in Education: a systematic review
(Universidad de Almería, 2025-02-13) Sánchez Martín, Micaela; Gutiérrez Sánchez, Marta; Olmedo-Moreno, Eva María; Navarro Mateu, Fernando; Teoría e Historia de la Educación; Facultad de Educación
Objetivo: evaluar la calidad de los diagramas de flujo de los meta-análisis publicados en educación. Métodos: Revisión sistemática. Criterios inclusión: metaanálisis de estudios experimentales sobre intervenciones educativas centradas en rendimiento académico, en inglés o español entre 1/enero/2009 y 30/abril/2022. Criterios exclusión: otros diseños, otros resultados o artículos no accesibles. Búsqueda bibliográfica: ERIC, WoS, Scopus y PubMed y búsqueda manual. Selección de artículo y extracción de datos con un protocolo previamente elaborado y registrado por dos evaluadores independientes. Datos: características de los estudios, riesgo de sesgo y adherencia a la PRISMA. Los diagramas de flujo se evaluaron con una 16 criterios de calidad según la PRISMA. Análisis estadísticos: estadísticos descriptivos, Chi-cuadrado o prueba exacta de Fisher y análisis de regresión logística y lineal obteniendo la OR y el coeficiente ß, respectivamente, con sus IC95% y p-valores. Resultados: De 2076 estudios inicialmente identificados, se incluyeron 69 (41 (59.4%) con un diagrama de flujo. Seis de los 16 criterios tuvieron un cumplimiento inferior al 50%. El diagrama de flujo se asoció con menor riesgo de sesgos y mayor adherencia a la PRISMA, entre otros factores descritos. Conclusiones: la utilización y calidad del diagrama de flujo en los metaanálisis publicados en educación es insatisfactoria.
Open Access
Reliability generalization meta‑analysis: comparing different statistical methods
(Springer, 2024-01-22) López‑Ibáñez, Carmen; López Nicolás, Rubén; Blázquez‑Rincón, Desirée M.; Sánchez Meca, Julio; Psicología Básica y Metodología; Facultad de Psicología y Logopedia
Reliability generalization (RG) is a kind of meta-analysis that aims to characterize how reliability varies from one test application to the next. A wide variety of statistical methods have typically been applied in RG meta-analyses, regarding statistical model (ordinary least squares, fixed-effect, random effects, varying-coefficient models), weighting scheme (inverse variance, sample size, not weighting), and transformation method (raw, Fisher’s Z, Hakstian and Whalen’s and Bonett’s transformation) of reliability coefficients. This variety of methods compromise the comparability of RG meta-analyses results and their reproducibility. With the purpose of examining the influence of the different statistical methods applied, a methodological review was conducted on 138 published RG meta-analyses of psychological tests, amounting to a total of 4,350 internal consistency coefficients. Among all combinations of procedures that made theoretical sense, we compared thirteen strategies for calculating the average coefficient, eighteen for calculating the confidence intervals of the average coefficient and calculated the heterogeneity indices for the different transformations of the coefficients. Our findings showed that transformation methods of the reliability coefficients improved the normality adjustment of the coefficient distribution. Regarding the average reliability coefficient and the width of confidence intervals, clear differences among methods were found. The largest discrepancies were found between the different strategies for calculating confidence intervals. Our findings point towards the need for the meta-analyst to justify the statistical model assumed, as well as the transformation method of the reliability coefficients and the weighting scheme.
Open Access
Reliability Generalization of the School Attitude Assessment Survey‑Revised: A Meta‑Analytic Structural Equation Modeling Approach
(Sage Publications, 2025-06-09) López López, José Antonio; López Nicolás, Rubén; Sandoval Lentisco, Alejandro; Sánchez Meca, Julio; Veas Iniesta, Alejandro; Psicología Evolutiva y de la Educación; Facultad de Psicología y Logopedia
The School Attitude Assessment Survey-Revised (SAAS-R) is a popular scale for assessing attitudinal and motivational aspects of students’ academic achievement. However, evidence on key psychometric properties of the SAAS-R such as reliability remains limited. We conducted a reliability generalization study of the SAAS-R using meta-analytic structural equation modeling (MASEM). We included studies reporting an application of the SAAS-R and providing correlation coefficients between the SAAS-R subscales. We searched ERIC, PsycINFO, Academic Search Premier, Supplemental Index, and Web of Science from database inception to July 2023. Analyses were based on 18 independent matrices from 13 studies examining 8712 participants. Our main results, based on a one-stage, correlation-based MASEM approach and with omega total as the reliability measure, yielded an overall reliability estimate of 0.795 (95% CI 0.778–0.811). This suggests that the SAAS-R offers good score reliability for research and practice purposes. Applications using adapted versions obtained on average higher score reliabilities than the original ones. We discuss the implications of these results, which need to be interpreted with caution given the important reporting limitations of the primary studies included.
Open Access
Reproducibility of Published Meta-Analyses on Clinical-Psychological Interventions
(SAGE Publications, 2024-02-05) López Nicolás, Rubén; Lakens, Daniel; López López, José Antonio; Rubio Aparicio, María; Sandoval Lentisco, Alejandro; López-Ibáñez, Carmen; Blázquez-Rincón, Desirée; Sánchez Meca, Julio; Psicología Básica y Metodología; Facultad de Psicología y Logopedia
Meta-analysis is one of the most useful research approaches, the relevance of which relies on its credibility. Reproducibility of scientific results could be considered as the minimal threshold of this credibility. We assessed the reproducibility of a sample of meta-analyses published between 2000 and 2020. From a random sample of 100 articles reporting results of meta-analyses of interventions in clinical psychology, 217 meta-analyses were selected. We first tried to retrieve the original data by recovering a data file, recoding the data from document files, or requesting it from original authors. Second, through a multistage workflow, we tried to reproduce the main results of each meta-analysis. The original data were retrieved for 67% (146/217) of meta-analyses. Although this rate showed an improvement over the years, in only 5% of these cases was it possible to retrieve a data file ready for reuse. Of these 146, 52 showed a discrepancy larger than 5% in the main results in the first stage. For 10 meta-analyses, this discrepancy was solved after fixing a coding error of our data-retrieval process, and for 15 of them, it was considered approximately reproduced in a qualitative assessment. In the remaining meta-analyses (18%, 27/146), different issues were identified in an in-depth review, such as reporting inconsistencies, lack of data, or transcription errors. Nevertheless, the numerical discrepancies were mostly minor and had little or no impact on the conclusions. Overall, one of the biggest threats to the reproducibility of meta-analysis is related to data availability and current data-sharing practices in meta-analysis.
Open Access
Revisiones sistemáticas y meta-análisis en Educación : un tutorial
(Universidad de Murcia, Servicio de Publicaciones, 2022) Sánchez-Meca, Julio
Las revisiones sistemáticas (RSs) y los meta-análisis (MAs) constituyen una metodología consolidada en las Ciencias Sociales y de la Salud. Su propósito es sintetizar los resultados de estudios empíricos para dar respuesta a alguna pregunta de interés. Tomando como base una revisión comprehensiva de la literatura sobre RSs y MAs, se presenta en este artículo un tutorial sobre cómo hacer este tipo de investigaciones. Para ello, se describe su desarrollo siguiendo siete etapas: (1) formulación de la pregunta de interés; (2) definición de los criterios de selección de los estudios; (3) búsqueda de los estudios mediante el uso de fuentes formales e informales; (4) extracción de las características de los estudios; (5) definición del resultado de los estudios, haciendo hincapié en los índices del tamaño del efecto (ej., familia d y familia r); (6) métodos de síntesis, distinguiendo entre síntesis meta-analítica y otros métodos de síntesis, y (7) publicación o redacción de la RS/MA. También se presentan recomendaciones sobre cómo hacer lectura crítica de RSs/MAs hechas por otros y se presentan checklists y guías orientativas sobre cómo redactarlas, tales como los checklists PRISMA, AMSTAR-2, MOOSE o REGEMA, entre otros. Finalmente, se discuten las ventajas y las limitaciones de las RSs/MAs y se alcanzan algunas reflexiones finales, centrando la atención en la importancia de valorar posibles sesgos en los resultados de este tipo de investigación.
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A systematic review and meta-analysis of the validation of serological methods for detecting anti-Toxoplasma gondii antibodies in humans and animals
(Elsevier, 2024-03-21) Huertas López, Ana; Cantos Barreda, Ana; Sánchez Sánchez, Roberto; Martínez-Carrasco Pleite, Carlos; Martínez Subiela, Silvia; Cerón Madrigal, José Joaquín; Ibáñez López, Francisco Javier; Álvarez García, Gema; Facultades, Departamentos, Servicios y Escuelas::Departamentos de la UMU::Sanidad Animal; Sanidad Animal
Toxoplasma gondii is a paradigmatic zoonotic parasite from the One Health perspective, since it is broadly distributed and virtually infects all warm-blooded species. A wide variety of serological techniques have been developed to detect T. gondii infection in humans and animals. Our aim was to describe and compare the main characteristics of these serological tests and validation processes and to critically analyze whether these tests meet the standards required to ensure an accurate serological diagnosis. The current systematic review and metaanalysis included 134 studies that were published from 2013 to 2023. QUADAS 2 tool was used to evaluate the quality of the included studies. A total of 52 variables related to the characteristics of the techniques and analytical and diagnostic validation parameters were studied. A wider panel of tests was developed for humans, including techniques exclusively developed for humans that involve costly equipment and the measurement of different Ig isotypes that are considered biomarkers of congenital toxoplasmosis. Studies conducted in humans frequently employed commercial techniques as reference tests, measured different immunoglobulin isotypes with a predominance for IgG (>50%) and discriminated between acute and chronic infections. In animals, the most commonly used reference techniques were in-house tests, which almost exclusively detected IgG. Common limitations identified in a large number of studies were some misunderstandings of the terms “gold standard” and “reference test” and the absence of information about the negative and positive control sera used or the exact cutoff employed, which were independent of the quality of the study. There is a lack of analytical validation, with few evaluations of cross-reactivity with other pathogens. Diagnostic odds ratio values showed that indirect ELISA based on native or chimeric antigens performed better than other tests. The reproducibility of serological test results in both humans and animals is not guaranteed due to a lack of relevant information and analytical validation. Thus, several key issues should be considered in the future, including interlaboratory ring trials.