Empirical evaluation of meta-analytic approaches for nutrient and health outcome dose-response data.

ABSTRACT: The objective of this study is to empirically compare alternative meta-analytic methods for combining dose-response data from epidemiological studies. We identified meta-analyses of epidemiological studies that analyzed the association between a single nutrient and a dichotomous outcome. For each topic, we performed meta-analyses of odds ratios with five approaches: using extreme exposure categories only, two-step approach (first calculated study-specific effects then combined across studies) using unadjusted data, two-step approach using adjusted data, one-step approach (analyzed all data in one regression model) using unadjusted data, and one-step approach using adjusted data. Meta-analyses including only extreme exposure categories gave consistently bigger effects and wider confidence i

SUBMITTER: Yu WW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4219760 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature