Assessment of the reporting quality of randomised controlled trials for vitamin D supplementation in autoimmune thyroid disorders based on the CONSORT statement

Abstract

Background—Purpose Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are the cornerstone of evidence-based medicine, yet their quality is often suboptimal. The Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) statement is a list of advice to upgrade the quality of RCTs. The aim of this study was the assessment of the quality of RCTs for vitamin D supplements in thyroid autoimmunity according to the revised CONSORT 2010 checklist. Methods Databases were searched for RCTs involving patients with autoimmune thyroid disorders (AITDs) who received vitamin D supplements published from 2011 to 2021. A list of 37-items was used and adherence ≥75% was considered of optimal quality. The primary outcome was the mean CONSORT adherence of studies. Secondary outcomes were the estimation of compliance per CONSORT item and the examination for possible determinants of the reporting quality. Results Thirteen eligible trials were finally included. The mean compliance was 61.15% ± 14.86%. Only threeof the studies (23%) achieved a good reporting quality (≥75%), while ten (77%) were presented with inadequate reporting (<75%). Randomization and blinding were mainly poorly reported. Impact Factor (IF) of journal was associated with the reporting quality in the univariate analysis [ p = 0.033, OR = 1.65, 95%CI = (1316, 1773)]. Sample size ( p = 0.067), number of authors ( p = 0.118) and number of citations ( p = 0.125) were marginally not significant. None of the factors showed significant results in multivariate analysis. Reporting quality and IF were strongly positively correlated [Pearson’s r = 0.740, p = 0.04]. Conclusion This study shows that mean CONSORT adherence of RCTs for Vitamin D supplementation in AITDs is moderate, reflecting that study quality and transparency could be improved with better adherence to CONSORT rules.

Reporting Quality and Risk of Bias Analysis of Published RCTs Assessing Anti-CGRP Monoclonal Antibodies in Migraine Prophylaxis: A Systematic Review

“…The quantification of the reporting quality of the articles was performed by calculating the "CONSORT compliance", meaning the percentage of the 33 CONSORT items that each article addressed. Descriptives of the compliance, including more than 75% compliance, and the total number of CONSORT questions reported in more than 75% of the articles are reported, following other similar articles [47][48][49]. Comparisons among different drug RCTs and by year of publication are also explored.…”