Quality Assessment of Cohort Studies in Complementary and Alternative Medicine: A Scoping Review Over Two Decades.

IF 1.3 4区医学 Q4 PUBLIC, ENVIRONMENTAL & OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH

Iranian Journal of Public Health Pub Date : 2025-01-01 DOI:10.18502/ijph.v54i1.17576

Mojtaba Norouzi, Ali Akbar Haghdoost

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Abstract

Background: We aimed to investigate the subject matters and the quality of publications detailing the findings of cohort studies within the realm of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM).

Methods: A scoping review was conducted on cohort studies in the CAM field up to the conclusion of 2023. The evaluation of their quality was carried out utilizing the 'Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology' (STROBE) checklist. Moreover, an analysis of their research settings and associated variables, including publication year, type of disease, intervention method, and study field, was conducted.

Results: Overall, 215 articles were identified. The majority of these cohorts, approximately 42.3%, originated from Taiwan, with stroke and cardiovascular diseases emerging as the most prevalent outcomes of interest. The mean STROBE score was 1.38 (SD=0.57) out of 2. The lowest scores were associated with the methods and funding sections. Methodologically, the principal weaknesses were linked to sample size, loss to follow-up, and bias control.

Conclusion: The frequency of cohort studies in CAM was limited, predominantly concentrated in a few countries. Chinese medicine and acupuncture were the main intervention methods, while other CAM interventions received less focus. Furthermore, the quality of these studies was deemed unsatisfactory in most cases.

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补充和替代医学队列研究的质量评估：20年来的范围回顾。

背景：我们的目的是调查主题和出版物的质量，详细介绍补充和替代医学（CAM）领域的队列研究结果。方法：对截至2023年底的CAM领域的队列研究进行范围综述。利用“加强流行病学观察性研究报告”（STROBE）检查表对其质量进行评估。此外，还分析了他们的研究背景和相关变量，包括发表年份、疾病类型、干预方法和研究领域。结果：总共有215篇文章被确定。这些队列中的大多数（约42.3%）来自台湾，卒中和心血管疾病是最普遍的结局。平均STROBE评分为1.38 （SD=0.57）。最低的分数与方法和资金部分有关。方法学上，主要缺陷与样本量、随访缺失和偏倚控制有关。结论：CAM队列研究的频次有限，主要集中在少数国家。中医和针灸是主要的干预方法，而其他CAM干预较少受到关注。此外，在大多数情况下，这些研究的质量被认为不令人满意。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Iranian Journal of Public Health PUBLIC, ENVIRONMENTAL & OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH-

CiteScore

2.20

自引率

7.10%

发文量

300

审稿时长

3-8 weeks

期刊介绍： Iranian Journal of Public Health has been continuously published since 1971, as the only Journal in all health domains, with wide distribution (including WHO in Geneva and Cairo) in two languages (English and Persian). From 2001 issue, the Journal is published only in English language. During the last 41 years more than 2000 scientific research papers, results of health activities, surveys and services, have been published in this Journal. To meet the increasing demand of respected researchers, as of January 2012, the Journal is published monthly. I wish this will assist to promote the level of global knowledge. The main topics that the Journal would welcome are: Bioethics, Disaster and Health, Entomology, Epidemiology, Health and Environment, Health Economics, Health Services, Immunology, Medical Genetics, Mental Health, Microbiology, Nutrition and Food Safety, Occupational Health, Oral Health. We would be very delighted to receive your Original papers, Review Articles, Short communications, Case reports and Scientific Letters to the Editor on the above mentioned research areas.