Table 1 Different categories of other bias (based on 4991 explanations) in Cochrane systematic reviews
Category | N (%) |
|---|---|
Baseline characteristics of participants | 1067 (21.4) |
Funding | 774 (15.6) |
Sample size | 405 (8.1) |
Reporting | 381 (7.6) |
Conflict of interest | 288 (5.8) |
Inclusion and exclusion criteria | 197 (3.9) |
Confounding | 196 (3.9) |
Analyses | 191 (3.8) |
Outcome domains and outcome measures | 135 (2.7) |
Co-interventions | 134 (2.7) |
Deviations from the protocol | 123 (2.5) |
Randomisation | 111 (2.2) |
Terminated early | 108 (2.2) |
Issues related to cross-over trials | 98 (2) |
Intention-to-treat analysis (ITT) | 95 (1.9) |
Study design | 76 (1.6) |
Compliance | 72 (1.4) |
Attrition | 71 (1.4) |
Contamination | 65 (1.3) |
Follow-up and study duration | 46 (0.9) |
Blinding | 25 (0.5) |
Clustering | 17 (0.3) |
Selection bias | 17 (0.3) |
Protocol registration | 16 (0.3) |
Study quality | 9 (0.2) |
Publication bias | 7 (0.1) |
Adequacy of comparators | 5 (0.1) |
Inexplicable | 85 (1.7) |
Other | 177 (3.6) |