When continuous outcomes are measured using different scales: guide for meta-analysis and interpretation

Murad, Mohammad Hassan; Wang, Zhen; Chu, Haitao; Lin, Lifeng

doi:10.1136/bmj.k4817

Cited by 329Meta-analysis and systematic reviewsDelphi Technique in ResearchStatistical Methods in Epidemiology

When continuous outcomes are measured using different scales: guide for meta-analysis and interpretation

Open access

Murad, Mohammad Hassan, Wang, Zhen, Chu, Haitao, Lin, Lifeng·2019·BMJ

DOI 10.1136/bmj.k4817PMC PMC6890471

Open this paper in CoChat — free account Open PDF

Abstract

It is common to measure continuous outcomes using different scales (eg, quality of life, severity of anxiety or depression), therefore these outcomes need to be standardized before pooling in a meta-analysis. Common methods of standardization include using the standardized mean difference, the odds ratio derived from continuous data, the minimally important difference, and the ratio of means. Other ways of making data more meaningful to end users include transforming standardized effects back to original scales and transforming odds ratios to absolute effects using an assumed baseline risk. For these methods to be valid, the scales or instruments being combined across studies need to have assessed the same or a similar construct

The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.

Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1136/bmj.k4817

Cites

26 of 26 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Claims the paper makes

The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.

Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.

Self-check

Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.

The self-check needs the paper’s full text.

Statistical Power Analysis for the Behavioral Sciences
Muller, K. E., & Cohen, J. (1989) · Technometrics · doi:10.2307/1270020 · Cited by 99,588 · see citing works
Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences
Cohen, J. (1990) · Computers Environment and Urban Systems · doi:10.1016/0198-9715(90)90050-4 · Cited by 65,406 · see citing works
Measuring inconsistency in meta-analyses
Higgins, J. P. T., Thompson, S. G., Deeks, J. J., & Altman, D. G. (2003) · BMJ · doi:10.1136/bmj.327.7414.557 · Cited by 63,139 · see citing works
Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions: Cochrane Book Series
(2008) · doi:10.1002/9780470712184 · Cited by 25,048 · see citing works
Introduction to Meta‐Analysis
Borenstein, M., Hedges, L. V., Higgins, J. P. T., & Rothstein, H. R. (2009) · doi:10.1002/9780470743386 · Cited by 14,225 · see citing works
Book Reviews: Statistical Methods for Meta-Analysis Larry V. Hedges and Ingram Olkin New York: Academic Press, 1985. xxii + 369 pp
Wasserman, S. S., Hedges, L. V., & Olkin, I. (1988) · Journal of Educational Statistics · doi:10.2307/1164953 · Cited by 10,347 · see citing works
Introduction to Meta‐Analysis
Borenstein, M., Hedges, L. V., Higgins, J. P. T., & Rothstein, H. R. (2021) · doi:10.1002/9781119558378 · Cited by 9,799 · see citing works
The meta-analysis of response ratios in experimental ecology
Hedges, L. V., Gurevitch, J., & Curtis, P. S. (1999) · Ecology · doi:10.1890/0012-9658(1999)080[1150:tmaorr]2.0.co;2 · Cited by 4,704 · see citing works
Statistical Methods for Meta-Analysis
(1985) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/c2009-0-03396-0 · Cited by 2,549 · see citing works
Methods to Explain the Clinical Significance of Health Status Measures
Guyatt, G. H., Osoba, D., Wu, A. W., Wyrwich, K. W., & Norman, G. R. (2002) · Mayo Clinic Proceedings · doi:10.4065/77.4.371 · Cited by 1,507 · see citing works
Meta-analysis of screening and diagnostic tests.
Hasselblad, V., & Hedges, L. V. (1995) · Psychological Bulletin · doi:10.1037/0033-2909.117.1.167 · Cited by 579 · see citing works
How to Read a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis and Apply the Results to Patient Care: Users’ Guides to the Medical Literature
Murad, M. H., Montori, V. M., Ioannidis, J. P. A., Jaeschke, R., Devereaux, P. J., Prasad, K., Neumann, I., Carrasco-Labra, A., Agoritsas, T., Hatala, R., et al. (2014) · JAMA · doi:10.1001/jama.2014.5559 · Cited by 454 · see citing works
Self-citation
The ratio of means method as an alternative to mean differences for analyzing continuous outcome variables in meta-analysis: A simulation study
Friedrich, J. O., Adhikari, N. K. J., & Beyene, J. (2008) · BMC Medical Research Methodology · doi:10.1186/1471-2288-8-32 · Cited by 333 · see citing works
Pooling health‐related quality of life outcomes in meta‐analysis—a tutorial and review of methods for enhancing interpretability
Thorlund, K., Walter, S. D., Johnston, B. C., Furukawa, T. A., & Guyatt, G. H. (2011) · Research Synthesis Methods · doi:10.1002/jrsm.46 · Cited by 295 · see citing works
Measurement Properties and Interpretability of the Chronic Respiratory Disease Questionnaire (CRQ)
Schünemann, H. J., Puhan, M. A., Goldstein, R. S., Jaeschke, R., & Guyatt, G. H. (2005) · COPD Journal of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease · doi:10.1081/copd-200050651 · Cited by 285 · see citing works
Ratio of means for analyzing continuous outcomes in meta-analysis performed as well as mean difference methods
Friedrich, J. O., Adhikari, N. K. J., & Beyene, J. (2011) · Journal of Clinical Epidemiology · doi:10.1016/j.jclinepi.2010.09.016 · Cited by 235 · see citing works
Comparative Effectiveness and Safety of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Pharmacotherapy for Childhood Anxiety Disorders: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Wang, Z., Whiteside, S. P. H., Sim, L., Farah, W., Morrow, A. S., Alsawas, M., Barrionuevo, P., Tello, M., Asi, N., Beuschel, B., et al. (2017) · JAMA Pediatrics · doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2017.3036 · Cited by 234 · see citing works
Self-citation
Approach to Outcome Measurement in the Prevention of Thrombosis in Surgical and Medical Patients
Guyatt, G. H., Eikelboom, J. W., Gould, M. K., Garcia, D. A., Crowther, M. A., Murad, M. H., Kahn, S. R., Falck-Ytter, Y. T., Francis, C. W., Lansberg, M. G., et al. (2012) · CHEST Journal · doi:10.1378/chest.11-2289 · Cited by 189 · see citing works
Self-citation
Improving the interpretation of quality of life evidence in meta-analyses: the application of minimal important difference units
Johnston, B. C., Thorlund, K., Schünemann, H. J., Xie, F., Murad, M. H., Montori, V. M., & Guyatt, G. H. (2010) · Health and Quality of Life Outcomes · doi:10.1186/1477-7525-8-116 · Cited by 160 · see citing works
Self-citation
Methods to convert continuous outcomes into odds ratios of treatment response and numbers needed to treat: meta-epidemiological study
da Costa, B. R., Rutjes, A. W., Johnston, B. C., Reichenbach, S., Nüesch, E., Tonia, T., Gemperli, A., Guyatt, G. H., & Jüni, P. (2012) · International Journal of Epidemiology · doi:10.1093/ije/dys124 · Cited by 145 · see citing works
The association between antibiotic use in infancy and childhood overweight or obesity: a systematic review and meta‐analysis
Miller, S. A., Wu, R., & Oremus, M. (2018) · Obesity Reviews · doi:10.1111/obr.12717 · Cited by 97 · see citing works
Uncertainties in baseline risk estimates and confidence in treatment effects
Spencer, F. A., Iorio, A., You, J. J., Murad, M. H., Schünemann, H. J., Vandvik, P. O., Crowther, M. A., Pottie, K. C., Lang, E., Meerpohl, J. J., et al. (2012) · BMJ · doi:10.1136/bmj.e7401 · Cited by 56 · see citing works
Self-citation
Estimating the mean effect size in meta-analysis: Bias, precision, and mean squared error of different weighting methods
Noortgate, W. V. D., & Onghena, P. (2003) · Behavior Research Methods, Instruments, & Computers · doi:10.3758/bf03195529 · Cited by 43 · see citing works
Estimating risk difference from relative association measures in meta-analysis can infrequently pose interpretational challenges
Murad, M. H., Montori, V. M., Walter, S. D., & Guyatt, G. H. (2009) · Journal of Clinical Epidemiology · doi:10.1016/j.jclinepi.2008.11.005 · Cited by 30 · see citing works
Self-citation
Meta-analysis on continuous outcomes in minimal important difference units: an application with appropriate variance calculations
Shrier, I., Christensen, R., Juhl, C. B., & Beyene, J. (2016) · Journal of Clinical Epidemiology · doi:10.1016/j.jclinepi.2016.07.012 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
A simple method for converting an odds ratio to effect size for use in meta-analysis
Chinn, S. (2000) · Statistics in Medicine · doi:10.1002/1097-0258(20001130)19:22

Flagged first, then by citations

2 of the 28 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.

Research works printed but not linked: 2

Wang Z, Whiteside SPH, Sim L, et al. Anxiety in Children. Rockville (MD): Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (US); 2017 Aug. Report No.: 17-EHC023-EF. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/ NBK476277/
Morton S, Murad M, O'Connor E, et al. Quantitative Synthesis-An Update. Methods Guide for Comparative Effectiveness Reviews. AHRQ Publication No 18-EHC007-EF Rockville, MD: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/ NBK519365/ 2018

Sorted by citations

Obesity in patients with COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Huang, Y., Lu, Y., Huang, Y.-M., Wang, M., Ling, W., Sui, Y., & Zhao, H.-L. (2020) · Metabolism · doi:10.1016/j.metabol.2020.154378 · Cited by 454 · see citing works
“For continuous outcome variables, SMD is ameasure of distance between two groupmeans in terms of one ormore variables and used as a summary statistic when outcome from each study is measured using several different scales [16].”
Health Outcomes of Parents of Children with Chronic Illness: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Cohn, L. N., Pechlivanoglou, P., Lee, Y., Mahant, S., Orkin, J., Marson, A., & Cohen, E. (2020) · The Journal of Pediatrics · doi:10.1016/j.jpeds.2019.10.068 · Cited by 349 · see citing works
“Given the potential challenges in interpreting mean differences on varied scales clinically, 32 a supplementary analysis was conducted comparing the percentages of parents scoring above or below clinical cutoff scores established by scales for depression and anxiety.”
Method
Evaluation of various estimators for standardized mean difference in meta‐analysis
Lin, L., & Aloe, A. M. (2021) · Statistics in Medicine · doi:10.1002/sim.8781 · Cited by 297 · see citing works
“F I G U R E 1 The exact form of the correction coefficient J(mi) and its approximate form J̃(mi) in (A); and the coefficients of g2 i in the variance estimators of Hedges’ g in Equations (10) and (14) in (B) for mi = 3, 4, .”
BackgroundMethodInfluentialSelf-citation
Cost and effects of integrated care: a systematic literature review and meta-analysis
Rocks, S., Berntson, D., Gil-Salmerón, A., Kadu, M., Ehrenberg, N., Stein, V. K., & Tsiachristas, A. (2020) · The European Journal of Health Economics · doi:10.1007/s10198-020-01217-5 · Cited by 247 · see citing works
Psychological interventions for chronic, non-specific low back pain: systematic review with network meta-analysis
Ho, E. K.-Y., Chen, L., Simic, M., Ashton-James, C. E., Comachio, J., Wang, D. X. M., Hayden, J. A., Ferreira, M. L., & Ferreira, P. H. (2022) · BMJ · doi:10.1136/bmj-2021-067718 · Cited by 220 · see citing works
“…equivalent to a mean difference of the following values between groups: To transform SMD to mean difference values, based on a methodological paper, 45 we multiplied the SMD by the pooled standard deviation obtained from the largest trial assessing each outcome: physical function, 46 pain…”
Method
Perineural Liposomal Bupivacaine Is Not Superior to Nonliposomal Bupivacaine for Peripheral Nerve Block Analgesia
Hussain, N., Brull, R., Sheehy, B. T., Essandoh, M. K., Stahl, D. L., Weaver, T. E., & Abdallah, F. W. (2020) · Anesthesiology · doi:10.1097/aln.0000000000003651 · Cited by 186 · see citing works
American Gastroenterological Association-American College of Gastroenterology Clinical Practice Guideline: Pharmacological Management of Chronic Idiopathic Constipation
Chang, L., Chey, W. D., Imdad, A., Almario, C. V., Bharucha, A. E., Diem, S., Greer, K. B., Hanson, B., Harris, L. A., Ko, C., et al. (2023) · Gastroenterology · doi:10.1053/j.gastro.2023.03.214 · Cited by 185 · see citing works
Self-citation
Serum C-Reactive Protein and Periodontitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Machado, V., Botelho, J., Escalda, C., Hussain, S. B., Luthra, S., Mascarenhas, P., Orlandi, M., Mendes, J. J., & D’Aiuto, F. (2021) · Frontiers in Immunology · doi:10.3389/fimmu.2021.706432 · Cited by 160 · see citing works
“Further by using two meta-analytical approaches we are comfortable with the effect sizes across comparative groups and/or interventions (29) managing the high degree of heterogeneity (61).”
Method
Relative efficacy of prehabilitation interventions and their components: systematic review with network and component network meta-analyses of randomised controlled trials
McIsaac, D. I., Kidd, G., Gillis, C., Branje, K., Al-Bayati, M., Baxi, A., Grudzinski, A. L., Boland, L., Veroniki, A.-A., Wolfe, D., et al. (2025) · BMJ · doi:10.1136/bmj-2024-081164 · Cited by 168 · see citing works
“We back-transformed standardised mean differences 39 to the scale most frequently reported in included studies (Short Form (SF)-36 physical component score for health related quality of life and the six min walk test for physical recovery (details in appendix 6)).”
Opioid versus opioid-free analgesia after surgical discharge: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised trials
Fiore, J. F., El‐Kefraoui, C., Chay, M.-A., Nguyen-Powanda, P., Do, U., Olleik, G., Rajabiyazdi, F., Kouyoumdjian, A., Derksen, A., Landry, T., et al. (2022) · The Lancet · doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(22)00582-7 · Cited by 137 · see citing works
A global meta-analysis of depression, anxiety, and stress before and during COVID-19.
Daniali, H., Martinussen, M., & Flaten, M. A. (2023) · Health Psychology · doi:10.1037/hea0001259 · Cited by 111 · see citing works
Risk Factors for Delirium in Older Adults in the Emergency Department: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Silva, L. O. J. E., Berning, M. J., Stanich, J. A., Gerberi, D., Murad, M. H., Han, J. H., & Bellolio, F. (2021) · Annals of Emergency Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.annemergmed.2021.03.005 · Cited by 94 · see citing works
Self-citation
Does the addition of iPACK to adductor canal block in the presence or absence of periarticular local anesthetic infiltration improve analgesic and functional outcomes following total knee arthroplasty? A systematic review and meta-analysis
Hussain, N., Brull, R., Sheehy, B. T., Dasu, M., Weaver, T. E., & Abdallah, F. W. (2021) · Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine · doi:10.1136/rapm-2021-102705 · Cited by 88 · see citing works
Dietary Elimination for the Treatment of Atopic Dermatitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Oykhman, P., Dookie, J., Al-Rammahy, H., Benedetto, A. D., Asiniwasis, R. N., LeBovidge, J., Wang, J., Ong, P. Y., Lio, P., Gutierrez, A., et al. (2022) · The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology In Practice · doi:10.1016/j.jaip.2022.06.044 · Cited by 88 · see citing works
Validating Claims-Based Algorithms Determining Pregnancy Outcomes and Gestational Age Using a Linked Claims-Electronic Medical Record Database
Moll, K., Wong, H., Fingar, K. R., Hobbi, S., Sheng, M., Burrell, T. A., Eckert, L. O., Muñoz, F. M., Baer, B., Shoaibi, A., et al. (2021) · Drug Safety · doi:10.1007/s40264-021-01113-8 · Cited by 84 · see citing works
Some conservative interventions are more effective than others for people with chronic non-specific neck pain: a systematic review and network meta-analysis
Castellini, G., Pillastrini, P., Vanti, C., Bargeri, S., Giagio, S., Bordignon, E., Fasciani, F., Marzioni, F., Innocenti, T., Chiarotto, A., et al. (2022) · Journal of physiotherapy · doi:10.1016/j.jphys.2022.09.007 · Cited by 84 · see citing works
Effects of kangaroo mother care on maternal and paternal health: systematic review and meta-analysis
Pathak, B. G., Sinha, B., Sharma, N., Mazumder, S., & Bhandari, N. (2023) · Bulletin of the World Health Organization · doi:10.2471/blt.22.288977 · Cited by 75 · see citing works
Effect of Therapy on Radiographic Progression in Axial Spondyloarthritis: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis
Karmacharya, P., Duarte‐García, A., Dubreuil, M., Murad, M. H., Shahukhal, R., Shrestha, P., Myasoedova, E., Crowson, C. S., Wright, K., & Davis, J. M. (2020) · Arthritis & Rheumatology · doi:10.1002/art.41206 · Cited by 71 · see citing works
Self-citation
Changes in Prevalence of Mental Illness Among US Adults During Compared with Before the COVID-19 Pandemic
Kessler, R. C., Chiu, W. T., Hwang, I. H., Puac‐Polanco, V., Sampson, N. A., Ziobrowski, H. N., & Zaslavsky, A. M. (2021) · Psychiatric Clinics of North America · doi:10.1016/j.psc.2021.11.013 · Cited by 73 · see citing works
“Although each study reported results in terms ofmeans rather than proportionswith clinically significant disorders, standardized mean differences can be converted into estimates of RR if we make assumptions about prepandemic prevalence and distributions.(48) When we did this using the assumption that prepandemic anxie…”
Effects of Prebiotics and Probiotics on Symptoms of Depression and Anxiety in Clinically Diagnosed Samples: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
Asad, A., Kirk, M., Zhu, S., Dong, X. Z., & Gao, M. (2024) · Nutrition Reviews · doi:10.1093/nutrit/nuae177 · Cited by 70 · see citing works
The effect of psychosocial interventions on depression, anxiety, and quality of life in hemodialysis patients: a systematic review and a meta-analysis
Barello, S., Anderson, G., Acampora, M., Bosio, C., Guida, E., Irace, V., Guastoni, C., Bertani, B., & Graffigna, G. (2022) · International Urology and Nephrology · doi:10.1007/s11255-022-03374-3 · Cited by 79 · see citing works
Outcomes of problem-based learning in nurse education: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Sharma, S., Saragih, I. D., Tarihoran, E., & Chou, F.-H. (2022) · Nurse Education Today · doi:10.1016/j.nedt.2022.105631 · Cited by 68 · see citing works
Analgesic benefits of single-shot versus continuous adductor canal block for total knee arthroplasty: a systemic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials
Hussain, N., Brull, R., Zhou, S., Schroell, R., McCartney, C. J. L., Sawyer, T. R., & Abdallah, F. W. (2022) · Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine · doi:10.1136/rapm-2022-103756 · Cited by 63 · see citing works
How effective are social norms interventions in changing the clinical behaviours of healthcare workers? A systematic review and meta-analysis
Tang, M. Y., Rhodes, S., Powell, R., McGowan, L. J., Howarth, E., Brown, B. C., & Cotterill, S. (2021) · Implementation Science · doi:10.1186/s13012-020-01072-1 · Cited by 63 · see citing works
“Data analysis/synthesis Any observed measure of healthcare worker behaviour was converted into a standardised mean difference (SMD, Cohen’s D) comparing intervention and control groups [26].”
Method
The Efficacy of Probiotics, Prebiotics, Synbiotics, and Fecal Microbiota Transplantation in Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis
Wu, Y., Li, Y., Zheng, Q., & Li, L. (2024) · Nutrients · doi:10.3390/nu16132114 · Cited by 66 · see citing works
Association Between Resident Race and Ethnicity and Clinical Performance Assessment Scores in Graduate Medical Education
Klein, R., Ufere, N. N., Schaeffer, S., Julian, K. A., Rao, S. R., Koch, J. A., Volerman, A., Snyder, E. D., Thompson, V., Ganguli, I., et al. (2022) · Academic Medicine · doi:10.1097/acm.0000000000004743 · Cited by 57 · see citing works
Effectiveness of nonpharmacological conservative therapies for chronic pelvic pain in women: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Starzec‐Proserpio, M., Frawley, H., Bø, K., & Morin, M. (2024) · American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology · doi:10.1016/j.ajog.2024.08.006 · Cited by 64 · see citing works
Abnormalities on Electrogastrography in Nausea and Vomiting Syndromes: A Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis, and Comparison to Other Gastric Disorders
Carson, D. A., Bhat, S., Hayes, T. C. L., Gharibans, A. A., Andrews, C. N., O’Grady, G., & Varghese, C. (2021) · Digestive Diseases and Sciences · doi:10.1007/s10620-021-07026-x · Cited by 50 · see citing works
“SMD was back-transformed to the MD to enable interpretation for each EGG metric found to be statistically significant [23].”
Method
Non-invasive neuromodulation for tinnitus: A meta-analysis and modeling studies
Lefebvre-Demers, M., Doyon, N., & Fecteau, S. (2020) · Brain stimulation · doi:10.1016/j.brs.2020.11.014 · Cited by 53 · see citing works
“125 chose to compute the electric fields generated by rTMS since it has been found that even weak electric field (applied at a strength of 80% of the resting motor threshold) can synchronize neurons [27].”
BackgroundMethod
A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Cell-Based Interventions in Experimental Diabetic Kidney Disease
Hickson, L. J., Abedalqader, T., Ben-Bernard, G., Mondy, J., Bian, X., Conley, S. M., Zhu, X., Herrmann, S. M., Kukla, A., Lorenz, E. C., et al. (2021) · Stem Cells Translational Medicine · doi:10.1002/sctm.19-0419 · Cited by 51 · see citing works
“For all other kidney outcomes, results were expressed as SMD with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) due to heterogeneity of measurement methods.(56) Random-effects model (RE) was used to conduct metaanalysis due to heterogeneity across studies.”
MethodSelf-citation
Intermittent hypoxia-related alterations in vascular structure and function: a systematic review and meta-analysis of rodent data
Harki, O., Boëté, Q., Pépin, J., Arnaud, C., Belaïdi, E., Faury, G., Khouri, C., & Briançon‐Marjollet, A. (2021) · European Respiratory Journal · doi:10.1183/13993003.00866-2021 · Cited by 51 · see citing works
A mixed-methods systematic review of post-viral fatigue interventions: Are there lessons for long Covid?
Fowler‐Davis, S., Platts, K., Thelwell, M., Woodward, A., & Harrop, D. (2021) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0259533 · Cited by 51 · see citing works
“This method is valid where instruments measure the same or a similar construct [31].”
Method
Transitional Care Interventions for Older Residents of Long-term Care Facilities
Birtwell, K., Planner, C., Hodkinson, A., Hall, A., Giles, S. J., Campbell, S., Tyler, N., Panagioti, M., & Daker‐White, G. (2022) · JAMA Network Open · doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.10192 · Cited by 50 · see citing works
Physiological, perceptual, and biomechanical differences between treadmill and overground walking in healthy adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Vickery-Howe, D. M., Bonanno, D. R., Dascombe, B. J., Drain, J. R., Clarke, A. C., Hoolihan, B., Willy, R. W., & Middleton, K. J. (2023) · Journal of Sports Sciences · doi:10.1080/02640414.2024.2312481 · Cited by 48 · see citing works
“…the contextual interpretation of changes in units relevant to the variable, the SMD was multiplied by the standard deviation of the most powered and representative study from the moderate speed group and presented in the discussion, as originally proposed by Murad et al. (Murad et al., 2019).”
Method
The mornings after—periarticular liposomal bupivacaine infiltration does not improve analgesic outcomes beyond 24 hours following total knee arthroplasty: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Hussain, N., Brull, R., Sheehy, B. T., Kushelev, M., Essandoh, M. K., & Abdallah, F. W. (2020) · Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine · doi:10.1136/rapm-2020-101995 · Cited by 48 · see citing works
Data synthesis for crop variety evaluation. A review
Brown, D., den Bergh, I. V., de Bruin, S., Machida, L., & van Etten, J. (2020) · Agronomy for Sustainable Development · doi:10.1007/s13593-020-00630-7 · Cited by 47 · see citing works
“Network meta-analysis and meta-analysis, in general, can deal with measurements in different units by estimating either the standardizedmean difference or the response ratio (Borenstein et al. 2009; Makowski et al. 2019; Murad et al. 2019).”
Cardiac consequences of intermittent hypoxia: a matter of dose? A systematic review and meta-analysis in rodents
Belaïdi, E., Khouri, C., Harki, O., Baillieul, S., Faury, G., Briançon‐Marjollet, A., Pépin, J., & Arnaud, C. (2022) · European Respiratory Review · doi:10.1183/16000617.0269-2021 · Cited by 47 · see citing works
“For each outcome, data were abstracted and analysed using SMD, SMD=(Mc − Me)/ SD , where Mc is the mean of the outcome measure in the control group, Me is the mean of the outcome measure in the experimental groups and SD is the pooled standard deviation of the two groups [19].”
Gender differences of health literacy in persons with a migration background: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Chakraverty, D., Baumeister, A., Aldin, A., Seven, Ü. S., Monsef, I., Skoetz, N., Woopen, C., & Kalbe, E. (2022) · BMJ Open · doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2021-056090 · Cited by 44 · see citing works
Clinical associations of functional dyspepsia with gastric dysrhythmia on electrogastrography: A comprehensive systematic review and meta‐analysis
Varghese, C., Carson, D. A., Bhat, S., Hayes, T. C. L., Gharibans, A. A., Andrews, C. N., & O’Grady, G. (2021) · Neurogastroenterology & Motility · doi:10.1111/nmo.14151 · Cited by 46 · see citing works
Quality of Care Before and After Mergers and Acquisitions of Rural Hospitals
Jiang, H., Fingar, K. R., Liang, L., Henke, R. M., & Gibson, T. (2021) · JAMA Network Open · doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.24662 · Cited by 43 · see citing works
American Gastroenterological Association-American College of Gastroenterology Clinical Practice Guideline: Pharmacological Management of Chronic Idiopathic Constipation
Chang, L., Chey, W. D., Imdad, A., Almario, C. V., Bharucha, A. E., Diem, S. J., Greer, K. B., Hanson, B., Harris, L. A., Ko, C. W., et al. (2023) · The American Journal of Gastroenterology · doi:10.14309/ajg.0000000000002227 · Cited by 43 · see citing works
“We used the mean difference (MD) to pool the continuous outcomes (20).”
MethodSelf-citation
The level of agreement between the numerical rating scale and visual analogue scale for assessing pain intensity in adults with chronic pain
Goudman, L., Pilitsis, J. G., Billet, B., Vos, R. D., Hanssens, K., Billot, M., Manuel Roulaud, B., Rigoard, P., & Moens, M. (2023) · Anaesthesia · doi:10.1111/anae.16151 · Cited by 43 · see citing works
“From a research perspective, this discrepancy between the pain intensity scales could seriously hamper the pooling of results for [36].”
Background
Transcranial direct current stimulation for balance rehabilitation in neurological disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Beretta, V. S., dos Santos, P. C. R., Orcioli‐Silva, D., Zampier, V. C., Vitório, R. R., & Gobbi, L. T. B. (2022) · Ageing Research Reviews · doi:10.1016/j.arr.2022.101736 · Cited by 41 · see citing works
Roux-en-Y versus Billroth-I reconstruction after distal gastrectomy for gastric cancer
Nishizaki, D., Ganeko, R., Hoshino, N., Hida, K., Obama, K., Furukawa, T. A., Sakai, Y., & Watanabe, N. (2021) · Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews · doi:10.1002/14651858.cd012998.pub2 · Cited by 40 · see citing works
Effects of Gamified Smartphone Applications on Physical Activity: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Yang, Y., Hu, H., & Koenigstorfer, J. (2021) · American Journal of Preventive Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2021.10.005 · Cited by 38 · see citing works
Effects and safety of transcranial direct current stimulation on multiple health outcomes: an umbrella review of randomized clinical trials
Kang, J., Lee, H., Yu, S., Lee, M., Kim, H. J., Kwon, R., Kim, S. Y., Fond, G. B., Boyer, L., Rahmati, M., et al. (2024) · Molecular Psychiatry · doi:10.1038/s41380-024-02624-3 · Cited by 38 · see citing works
“All analyses were conducted using the ‘ meta ’ package of R software (version 4.2.2; R Foundation, Vienna, Austria), with statistical signi ﬁ cance de ﬁ ned as a two-sided P-value threshold of < 0.05.”
Influential
Spiritual Well-being in Patients with Chronic Diseases: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Tirgari, B., Khaksari, M., Soltani, Z., Mirzaee, M., Saberi, S., & Bashiri, H. (2022) · Journal of Religion and Health · doi:10.1007/s10943-022-01595-5 · Cited by 37 · see citing works
“Pooling the results of each scale independently is undesirable because it does not allow all the available evidence to be included and can lead to imprecise estimates (only a few studies would be included in each analysis, leading to overall small sample size and wide confidence intervals) (Murad et al., 2019).”
Background
A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials on the effect of serious games on people with dementia.
Saragih, I. D., Everard, G. J., & Lee, B.-O. (2022) · Ageing Research Reviews · doi:10.1016/j.arr.2022.101740 · Cited by 33 · see citing works
Cognitive impairment in people with physical frailty using the phenotype model: A systematic review and meta analysis
Vahedi, A., Eriksdotter, M., Ihle‐Hansen, H., Wyller, T. B., Øksengård, A. R., & Fure, B. (2022) · International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry · doi:10.1002/gps.5822 · Cited by 35 · see citing works
“There has also been discussion regarding meta‐analyses of results of different diagnostic instruments measuring the same outcome, as we have performed in the subgroup analysis.(55) However, according to the Cochrane Handbook, the use of standardized mean difference is a well‐established and accepted part of meta‐analy…”
Result
Effect of omega-3 fatty acids on systemic lupus erythematosus disease activity: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Duarte‐García, A., Myasoedova, E., Karmacharya, P., Hocaoǧlu, M., Murad, M. H., Warrington, K. J., & Crowson, C. S. (2020) · Autoimmunity Reviews · doi:10.1016/j.autrev.2020.102688 · Cited by 38 · see citing works
Self-citation
Sacral neuromodulation for low anterior resection syndrome: current status—a systematic review and meta-analysis
Pires, M., Severo, M., Lopes, A. I., Neves, S., Matzel, K. E., & Povo, A. (2023) · International Journal of Colorectal Disease · doi:10.1007/s00384-023-04485-8 · Cited by 35 · see citing works
“To overcome this limitation, the authors decided to use a statistical method [20] to calculate a standardized effect measure, i.e., standardized mean difference of three different quality of life scores (LARS score, FIQL score and SF-36) to be able to perform the meta-analysis and despite this,…”
Influential
Is the platelet to lymphocyte ratio a promising biomarker to distinguish acute appendicitis? Evidence from a systematic review with meta-analysis
Liu, L., Shao, Z., Yu, H. J., Zhang, W., Wang, H., & Mei, Z. (2020) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0233470 · Cited by 32 · see citing works
“Second, a research article published in 2019 [66] has demonstrated that SMD is a commonly used effect estimate to measure continuous outcomes using different scales or units (e.”
Background
A systematic review and network meta-analysis of virtual reality, audiovisuals and music interventions for reducing dental anxiety related to tooth extraction
Hao, T., Pang, J., Liu, Q., & Xin, P. (2023) · BMC Oral Health · doi:10.1186/s12903-023-03407-y · Cited by 32 · see citing works
“Since the studies used various anxiety scales and units of measurement, the effect size measure for the continuous outcome was selected for SMD [19].”
Cerebral oxidative stress, inflammation and apoptosis induced by intermittent hypoxia: a systematic review and meta-analysis of rodent data
Amine, B. E., Fournier, J., Minovès, M., Baillieul, S., Roche, F., Perek, N., Pépin, J., Tamisier, R., Khouri, C., Rome, C., et al. (2024) · European Respiratory Review · doi:10.1183/16000617.0162-2024 · Cited by 32 · see citing works
Analgesic benefits of the quadratus lumborum block in total hip arthroplasty: a systematic review and meta‐analysis
Hussain, N., Brull, R., Speer, J., Hu, L. ‐., Sawyer, T. R., McCartney, C. J. L., & Abdallah, F. W. (2022) · Anaesthesia · doi:10.1111/anae.15823 · Cited by 31 · see citing works
“Postoperative functional recovery data were pooled using either a weighted mean difference if all studies reported the same continuous scale; standardised mean difference and corresponding log (OR) if different scales were used, but if the same theme was measured [23, 24]; or OR if all functional recovery assessments…”
Method
Impact of pharmacist-led interventions on medication-related problems among patients treated for cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized control trials
Fentie, A. M., Huluka, S. A., Gebremariam, G. T., Gebretekle, G. B., Abebe, E., & Fenta, T. G. (2024) · Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy · doi:10.1016/j.sapharm.2024.02.006 · Cited by 31 · see citing works
The Effect of Interventions That Target Multiple Modifiable Health Behaviors on Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression in Young People: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
Bourke, M., Patten, R. K., Dash, S. R., Pascoe, M. C., Craike, M. J., Firth, J., Bailey, A. P., Jacka, F. N., & Parker, A. G. (2021) · Journal of Adolescent Health · doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2021.08.005 · Cited by 31 · see citing works
Gastric dysrhythmia in gastroesophageal reflux disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Bhat, S., Varghese, C., Carson, D. A., Hayes, T. C. L., Gharibans, A. A., Andrews, C. N., & O’Grady, G. (2021) · Esophagus · doi:10.1007/s10388-021-00820-6 · Cited by 29 · see citing works
Comparisons of the mean differences and standardized mean differences for continuous outcome measures on the same scale
Jing, Y., & Lin, L. (2024) · JBI Evidence Synthesis · doi:10.11124/jbies-23-00368 · Cited by 32 · see citing works
Self-citation
Probiotics for the management of irritable bowel syndrome: a systematic review and three-level meta-analysis
Chen, M., Lu, Y., Xie, C.-R., Wang, X., Feng, S., Xiao, X.-Y., & Zheng, H. (2023) · International Journal of Surgery · doi:10.1097/js9.0000000000000658 · Cited by 32 · see citing works
“…reviews that assessed the ef ﬁ cacy of probiotics for IBS [6,7] because we used the transformation between odds ratios and SMDs, which has been suggested and reported in the Cochrane handbook [16] and methodological reports [9,14] to increase the statistical strength of the meta-analysis.”
BackgroundMethod
Analgesic Effectiveness of Motor-sparing Nerve Blocks for Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Network Meta-analysis
Hussain, N., Brull, R., Vannabouathong, C., Robinson, C., Zhou, S., D'Souza, R. S., Sawyer, T. R., Terkawi, A. S., & Abdallah, F. W. (2023) · Anesthesiology · doi:10.1097/aln.0000000000004667 · Cited by 26 · see citing works
Mindfulness-based interventions for psychological wellbeing and quality of life in men with prostate cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Nnate, D. A., Anyachukwu, C. C., Igwe, S. E., & Abaraogu, U. O. (2021) · Psycho-Oncology · doi:10.1002/pon.5749 · Cited by 24 · see citing works
Telehealth-Supported Exercise or Physical Activity Programs for Knee Osteoarthritis: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Xiang, X.-N., Wang, Z., Hu, J., Zhang, J.-Y., Li, K., Chen, Q.-X., Xu, F., Zhang, Y.-W., He, H., He, C., et al. (2024) · Journal of Medical Internet Research · doi:10.2196/54876 · Cited by 28 · see citing works
“Hedges g and representative SDs (pooled from the intervention and control groups in trials using the scale) were used to calculate the MIDs for primary outcomes [40], which were then compared to the reported MIDs.”
Self-citation
Prenatal and postnatal factors associated with sudden infant death syndrome: an umbrella review of meta-analyses
Kim, T. H., Lee, H., Woo, S., Lee, H., Park, J., Fond, G. B., Boyer, L., Hahn, J. W., Kang, J., & Yon, D. K. (2024) · World Journal of Pediatrics · doi:10.1007/s12519-024-00806-1 · Cited by 27 · see citing works
“We recalculated the pooled effect size, and the RR was converted to the OR in reanalysis [16].”
Resistance training and combined resistance and aerobic training as a treatment of depression and anxiety symptoms in young people: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Marinelli, R., Parker, A. G., Levinger, I., Bourke, M., Patten, R. K., & Woessner, M. N. (2024) · Early Intervention in Psychiatry · doi:10.1111/eip.13528 · Cited by 33 · see citing works
“For the single study that reported using remission rate, the log odds ratio was divided by 1.81 to convert it to a SMD and the variance of the log odds ratio was divided by 3.28 (Murad et al., 2019).”
Influential
Effect of metformin on left ventricular mass and functional parameters in non-diabetic patients: a meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials
Kamel, A. M., Sabry, N. A., & Farid, S. F. (2022) · BMC Cardiovascular Disorders · doi:10.1186/s12872-022-02845-w · Cited by 23 · see citing works
“Estimation of absolute difference SMCC and SMCR were back-transformed to the original scale by multiplying the pooled estimates and the corresponding 95% CI by the SD of the change and the baseline scores, respectively [25].”
Method
Network meta‐analysis of the analgesic effectiveness of regional anaesthesia techniques for anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction
Hussain, N., Brull, R., Vannabouathong, C., Speer, J., Lagnese, C. M., McCartney, C. J. L., & Abdallah, F. W. (2022) · Anaesthesia · doi:10.1111/anae.15873 · Cited by 23 · see citing works
“For postoperative functional recovery, statistical pooling was performed using either one of the following: weighted mean difference, if all studies reported the same continuous scale; standardised mean difference and corresponding log (OR) if different types of scales were used, but if the same theme was measured [30…”
Method
Pharmacogenetic Interactions of Medications Administered for Weight Loss in Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
BouSaba, J., Vosoughi, K., Dilmaghani, S., Prokop, L. J., & Camilleri, M. (2023) · Pharmacogenomics · doi:10.2217/pgs-2022-0192 · Cited by 22 · see citing works
The effect of transcranial magnetic stimulation on cognitive function in post-stroke patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Zhu, M., Huang, S., Chen, W., Pan, G., & Zhou, Y. (2024) · BMC Neurology · doi:10.1186/s12883-024-03726-9 · Cited by 22 · see citing works
“Because two studies [42, 43] did not show a net change of cognitive scores between baseline and post intervention, the following formulas were used: Mean changes = Mean post − Mean baseline; If this correlation coefficient is unknown, it may be estimated as 0.5.”
MethodInfluential
Assessment of salivary matrix metalloproteinase (MMP8) and activated salivary matrix metalloproteinase (aMMP8) in periodontitis patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Boynes, S. G., Sofiyeva, N., Saw, T., Nieto, V. K., & Palomo, L. (2025) · Frontiers in Oral Health · doi:10.3389/froh.2025.1444399 · Cited by 22 · see citing works
“Due to the different unit and measurement methods across eligible studies, the effect size was reported in standardized mean differences (SMD) and 95% con ﬁ dence intervals (CI) (26).”
Comorbid health outcomes in patients with schizophrenia: an umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses
Lee, H., Lee, J. H., Lee, S., Lim, J. H., Kim, H. J., Park, J., Lee, H., Fond, G. B., Boyer, L., Smith, L., et al. (2024) · Molecular Psychiatry · doi:10.1038/s41380-024-02792-2 · Cited by 24 · see citing works
“Our study considered a two-sided p -value of less than 0.05 to be statistically signi ﬁ cant.”
Influential
Acupuncture Relieves Opioid-Induced Constipation in Clinical Cancer Therapy – A Meta-Analysis and Systematic Review
Han, C., Liu, Y., Fan, H., Li, D., & Guo, N. (2021) · Clinical Epidemiology · doi:10.2147/clep.s324193 · Cited by 21 · see citing works
“For continuous variables, such as life quality assessment scores, standardized mean differences (SMDs) were calculated before meta-analyses according to Murad’s report on measures using different scales.(21) The dataset for analyses (Supplementary Table 1) and different scales (Supplementary Tables 2–5) used by includ…”
Method
Electrogastrography Abnormalities in Pediatric Gastroduodenal Disorders
Bhat, S., Varghese, C., Carson, D. A., Hayes, T. C. L., Andrews, C. N., Mousa, H. M., O’Grady, G., & Gharibans, A. A. (2021) · Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition · doi:10.1097/mpg.0000000000003140 · Cited by 21 · see citing works
Does femoroacetabular impingement syndrome affect range of motion? A systematic review with meta-analysis
Albertoni, D. B., Gianola, S., Bargeri, S., Hoxhaj, I., Munari, A., Maffulli, N., & Castellini, G. (2022) · British Medical Bulletin · doi:10.1093/bmb/ldac027 · Cited by 20 · see citing works
Comorbid physical health outcomes in patients with bipolar disorder: An umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses
Kang, J., Lee, H., Park, J., Kim, H. J., Kwon, R., Kim, S., Fond, G. B., Boyer, L., Rahmati, M., Smith, L., et al. (2024) · Asian Journal of Psychiatry · doi:10.1016/j.ajp.2024.104138 · Cited by 22 · see citing works
Effectiveness of geriatric rehabilitation in inpatient and day hospital settings: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Wong, E. K. C., Hoang, P., Kouri, A., Gill, S. S., Huang, Y. Q., Lee, J. C., Weiss, S. M., Daniel, R., McGowan, J., Amog, K., et al. (2024) · BMC Medicine · doi:10.1186/s12916-024-03764-7 · Cited by 20 · see citing works
Efficacy and safety of gut microbiome-targeted treatment in patients with depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Pan, B., Pan, Y., Huang, Y., Yi, M., Hu, Y., Lian, X., Shi, H., Wang, M., Xiang, G., Yang, W., et al. (2025) · BMC Psychiatry · doi:10.1186/s12888-024-06438-z · Cited by 20 · see citing works
“Finally, when combining the results of studies using different scales, although many current studies address this by combining effect sizes through SMD value [66, 67], it has also been argued that only one effect size can be provided per study to ensure independence between effect sizes [68].”
Psychological and Emotional Harms of Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse in Children Under the Age of 18: A Systematic Review of the Evidence
Page, S., McFeeters, A., Rani, N. H. M., Slater, C., Stevenson, J., Quayle, E., & Fry, D. (2025) · Child Abuse Review · doi:10.1002/car.70048 · Cited by 20 · see citing works
Effect of Laughter Therapy on Healthy Life: A Meta-analysis
Hwang, S. H., Jeong, H.-C., & Hwang, J.-W. (2019) · Journal of the Korean Chemical Society · doi:10.15207/jkcs.2019.10.9.291 · Cited by 20 · see citing works
“67점으로 나타나[27], 이를 전체 실험의 표준 평균 차이를 곱하여 효과 크기를 산출하였다.”
Reporting of Rehabilitation Outcomes in the Traumatic Lower Limb Amputation Literature: A Systematic Review
Ghai, S., Hitzig, S. L., Eberlin, L., Melo, J., Mayo, A. L., Blanchette, V., Habra, N., Zucker-Levin, A. R., & Zidarov, D. (2023) · Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation · doi:10.1016/j.apmr.2023.08.028 · Cited by 19 · see citing works
“32 Thus, the estimates of intervention effectiveness are less precise, and overall ﬁndings are less informative for clinical practice.”
Background
We need better ways to help students avoid the harms of stress: Results of a meta-analysis on the effectiveness of school-based stress management interventions
Juhász, Á., Sebestyén, N., Árva, D., Barta, V., Pártos, K., Vokó, Z., & Rákosy, Z. (2024) · Journal of School Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.jsp.2024.101352 · Cited by 19 · see citing works
Effects of photobiomodulation on multiple health outcomes: an umbrella review of randomized clinical trials
Son, Y., Lee, H., Yu, S., Kim, H. J., Park, J., Woo, S., Lee, H., Fond, G. B., Boyer, L., Rahmati, M., et al. (2025) · Systematic Reviews · doi:10.1186/s13643-025-02902-3 · Cited by 19 · see citing works
“To harmonize effect sizes across studies, RRs were converted to SMDs using the following formula SMD ≈ log ( RR ) ∗ √ 3 , as described in previous methodological literature [17, 18].”
Incidence and risk factors for recurrent focal segmental glomerulosclerosis after kidney transplantation: a meta-analysis
Bai, J., Zhang, T., Wang, Y., Cao, J., Duan, Z., Ji, L., Zhou, Y., Hao, C., & Guo, Q. (2023) · Renal Failure · doi:10.1080/0886022x.2023.2201341 · Cited by 19 · see citing works
“When different studies record the same outcome variable in different units of measurement, SMD should be used as a measure of effect size [16].”
Method
Neurodevelopment in unilateral coronal craniosynostosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Fotouhi, A. R., Chiang, S. N., Peterson, A. M., Doering, M. M., Skolnick, G. B., Naidoo, S. D., Strahle, J. M., McEvoy, S. D., & Patel, K. B. (2022) · Journal of Neurosurgery Pediatrics · doi:10.3171/2022.9.peds22283 · Cited by 18 · see citing works
Kinematic Alignment Does Not Result in Clinically Important Improvements After TKA Compared With Mechanical Alignment: A Meta-analysis of Randomized Trials
Nucci, N. W., Chakrabarti, M. O., DeVries, Z., Ekhtiari, S., Tomescu, S. S., & Mundi, R. (2025) · Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research · doi:10.1097/corr.0000000000003356 · Cited by 18 · see citing works
“WOMAC scores were converted to the OKS using previously reported techniques [37].”
Effectiveness of N-acetylcysteine in Treating Clinical Symptoms of Substance Abuse and Dependence: A Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
Chang, C.-T., Hsieh, P.-J., Lee, H., Lo, C.-H., Tam, K., & Loh, E. (2021) · Clinical Psychopharmacology and Neuroscience · doi:10.9758/cpn.2021.19.2.282 · Cited by 18 · see citing works
“Because different craving and depression scales were used in the included trials, the standardized mean difference (SMD), an effect measure which has been proved feasible when pooling results of different scales and units [21], was used for the current analysis.”
Method
Psychopathological symptoms in parents and siblings of people on the autism spectrum: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Bispo‐Torres, A. C., Lucena, R., Tavares-Rodrigues, I. C., Barouh, J. L., Lins-Silva, D. H., Dorea-Bandeira, I., Souza, L. S., Faria-Guimarães, D., Tolentino, A. C., Miranda‐Scippa, Â., et al. (2023) · Psychiatry Research · doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2023.115145 · Cited by 17 · see citing works
Robot-Assisted versus Laparoscopic Gastrointestinal Surgery: A Systematic Review and Metanalysis of Intra- and Post-Operative Complications
Iacovazzo, C., Buonanno, P., Massaro, M., Ianniello, M., de Siena, A. U., Vargas, M., & Marra, A. (2023) · Journal of Personalized Medicine · doi:10.3390/jpm13091297 · Cited by 16 · see citing works
“Continuous variables were presented as mean and standard deviation (SD); mean differences (MD) were used to compare continuous variable while standardized mean differences (SMD) were used to compare continuous data of different scales for quality of life [20].”
Method
Systematic assessment of environmental factors for gastroesophageal reflux disease: An umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses
Cheng, Y., Kou, F., Liu, J., Dai, Y., Li, X., & Li, J. (2020) · Digestive and Liver Disease · doi:10.1016/j.dld.2020.11.022 · Cited by 17 · see citing works
The role of perceptual and cognitive load on inattentional blindness: A systematic review and three meta-analyses
Matias, J., Belletier, C., Izaute, M., Lutz, M., & Silvert, L. (2021) · Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology · doi:10.1177/17470218211064903 · Cited by 17 · see citing works
“As different tests, and thus absolute measures, could be used across studies to evaluate WM capacities, we expressed the meta-analytic effect size as a standardised mean difference (SMD; Murad et al., 2019; Takeshima et al., 2014).”
Method
Safety and efficacy of compounded bioidentical hormone therapy (cBHT) in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
Liu, Y., Yuan, Y., Day, A. J., Zhang, W., John, P., Ng, D. J., & Banov, D. (2022) · Menopause The Journal of The North American Menopause Society · doi:10.1097/gme.0000000000001937 · Cited by 17 · see citing works
“Some SDs were not provided in the original studies, and thus were derived for meta-analysis using methods provided by Shi et al and Weir et al.(11,12) The same method was applied to all the other analysis in this study.”
Method
Effects of Non‐Pharmacological Interventions on the Swallowing Function of Patients With Post‐Stroke Dysphagia: A Systematic Review and Network Meta‐Analysis
Zhang, B., Wong, K. P., Guo, C., Chen, S., Fu, S., Kang, R., Xiao, Q., & Qin, J. (2024) · Journal of Oral Rehabilitation · doi:10.1111/joor.13901 · Cited by 16 · see citing works
Influence of compression garments on proprioception: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Ghai, S., Nilson, F., Gustavsson, J., & Ghai, I. (2024) · Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1111/nyas.15144 · Cited by 15 · see citing works
“54 Two studies reported using complete lower body CGs. 50,70 Furthermore, one study reported using an above-knee CG, 52 one reported using a shoulder CG, 46 and one reported using CG on the elbow joint.”
BackgroundInfluential
Association of Bone Conduction Devices for Single-Sided Sensorineural Deafness With Quality of Life
Hampton, T., Milinis, K., Whitehall, E., & Sharma, S. D. (2021) · JAMA Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery · doi:10.1001/jamaoto.2021.2769 · Cited by 15 · see citing works
Reducing health-related stigma in adults living with chronic non-communicable diseases: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Akyirem, S., Ekpor, E., Batten, J., & Brady, V. (2024) · Social Science & Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2024.117153 · Cited by 15 · see citing works
Effects of home visits on quality of life among older adults: a systematic review protocol
Tay, Y. L., Bakar, N. S. A., Tumiran, R., Rahman, N. H. A., Ma’amor, N. A. A. M., Yau, W. K., & Abdullah, Z. (2021) · Systematic Reviews · doi:10.1186/s13643-021-01862-8 · Cited by 15 · see citing works
“expressed as mean differences (MDs) or standardised mean differences (SMDs) (when the outcome is measured using several scales or instruments) with 95% CIs [43].”
MethodInfluential
Exergame-Based Behavior Change Interventions for Promoting Physical Activity: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Studies
Li, S., Ma, H., Zhu, L.-Q., Yu, H., Wang, A., Tang, X., Pei, R., & Piao, M. (2025) · Journal of Medical Internet Research · doi:10.2196/62906 · Cited by 14 · see citing works
“Given the diverse measurement methods for outcomes, we calculated standard mean differences (SMDs), estimated using adjusted Hedges g , to generate effect sizes [30,31].”
The association between preoperative anxiety and chronic post-surgical pain after general anaesthesia, a systematic review and meta-analysis
Bakker-Bons, M., Hijmering, R. M. J., Soer, R., & Wolff, A. P. (2025) · BJA Open · doi:10.1016/j.bjao.2025.100487 · Cited by 18 · see citing works
“20 Following the Cochrane Group, the standard deviation of the pain measurement scale used was taken from the largest and most representative study.”
No meta-analytical effect of economic inequality on well-being or mental health
Sommet, N., Fillon, A. A., Rudmann, O., Cunha, A. R. S., & Ehsan, A. (2025) · Nature · doi:10.1038/s41586-025-09797-z · Cited by 16 · see citing works
“Although these transformations arguably produce comparable estimates 60 , we included this dimension in the specification curve analysis for robustness.”
The effectiveness of co-created lifestyle interventions in improving health behaviour, physical and mental health in adults with non-communicable diseases: A systematic review with meta-analysis
Anieto, E. M., Dall, P., Abaraogu, U. O., CHASTIN, S. F. M., Anieto, I. B., Longworth, G. R., Adandom, I. I., Onyeso, O. K., Iwuagwu, A. O., Smith, N., et al. (2025) · Public Health · doi:10.1016/j.puhe.2025.105929 · Cited by 13 · see citing works

Meta-Analysis for Continuous Data
Chen, D., & Peace, K. E. (2021) · Chapman & Hall/CRC eBooks · doi:10.1201/9780429061240-5
Continuous outcome measures: conundrums and conversions contributing to clinical application
Mayer, M. G. (2019) · BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine · doi:10.1136/bmjebm-2018-111136 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
Standardization and other approaches to meta‐analyze differences in means
Hopkins, W. G., & ROWLANDS, D. S. (2024) · Statistics in Medicine · doi:10.1002/sim.10114 · Cited by 35 · see citing works
MSR111 From Complex Statistics to Clinically Meaningful Insights: Interpreting Results in Meta-Analyses of Continuous Outcomes
Gallardo, D., Eriksson, J., Schweikert, B., & Pahwa, A. (2025) · Value in Health · doi:10.1016/j.jval.2025.09.3396
Variability in meta-analysis estimates of continuous outcomes using different standardization and scale-specific re-expression methods
Gallardo‐Gómez, D., Pedder, H., Welton, N. J., Dwan, K. M., & Dias, S. (2023) · Journal of Clinical Epidemiology · doi:10.1016/j.jclinepi.2023.11.003 · Cited by 23 · see citing works

Authors: Murad, M. H., Wang, Z., Chu, H., & Lin, L.
Affiliations: Mayo Clinic (US)
University of Minnesota (US)
Florida State University (US)
Corresponding author: Murad, Mohammad Hassan
ORCID: Murad, Mohammad Hassan
Wang, Zhen
Chu, Haitao
Lin, Lifeng
Venue: BMJ
Publisher: BMJ
Published: 2019-01-22
Volume: 364
Pages: k4817
ISSN: 1756-1833 (ISSN-L)
0959-8138
DOI: 10.1136/bmj.k4817
PMC: PMC6890471
OpenAlex: W2912626077
Cited by: 329
References: 28
Citations by year: 2026: 65 · 2025: 71 · 2024: 63 · 2023: 40 · 2022: 39 · 2021: 34 · 2020: 16 · 2019: 1
FWCI: 15.04
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: bronze
doi.org
Licence: www.bmj.com/company/legal-information/terms-conditions/legal-information/tdm-licencepolicy (tdm)
Locations: BMJ (publishedVersion)
Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion)
PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
PubMed (publishedVersion)
HighWire Press Open Archive (submittedVersion)
Funders: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (U01DK106786)
U.S. National Library of Medicine (R21LM012744, R21LM012197)
Topics: Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › Statistics, Probability and Uncertainty › Meta-analysis and systematic reviews
Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Delphi Technique in Research
Physical Sciences › Mathematics › Statistics and Probability › Statistical Methods in Epidemiology
Keywords: scale standardization, continuous outcomes, meta-analysis, standardized mean difference, odds ratio, minimally important difference, ratio of means, baseline risk, quality of life, anxiety, depression
MeSH terms: Algorithms, Anxiety, Child, Data Interpretation, Statistical, Decision Making, Depression, Female, Humans, Parents, Quality of Life, Reference Standards, Severity of Illness Index, Meta-Analysis as Topic, Outcome Assessment, Health Care

About these checks

Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.

Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.

Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.

What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›

Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review

When continuous outcomes are measured using different scales: guide for meta-analysis and interpretation

Abstract

Integrity signals

Claims the paper makes

Self-check

Cites

Cited by

Related

Record

About these checks