A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Relation Between Engagement and Achievement in Early Childhood Research

2021 ◽  
pp. 027112142110327
Author(s):  
Esther R. Lindström ◽  
Jason C. Chow ◽  
Kathleen N. Zimmerman ◽  
Hongyang Zhao ◽  
Elise Settanni ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Academic Engagement ◽  
Literature Search ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Effect Sizes ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Systematic Literature Search ◽  
Random Effects Models ◽  
Unique Data ◽  
Early Childhood Research

Engagement in early childhood has been linked with later achievement, but the relation between these variables and how they are measured in early childhood requires examination. We estimated the overall association between academic engagement and achievement in children prior to kindergarten entry. Our systematic literature search yielded 13,521 reports for structured eligibility screening; from this pool of studies, we identified 21 unique data sets, with 199 effect sizes for analysis. We coded eligible studies, extracted effect sizes, accounted for effect size dependency, and used random-effects models to synthesize findings. The overall correlation between academic engagement and achievement was r = .24 (range: −.08 to −.71), and moderator analyses did not significantly predict the relation between the two constructs. This study aligns with previous research on this topic and examines issues related to these measures, their constraints, and applications as they pertain to early childhood research.

scholarly journals The effects of dietary and lifestyle interventions among pregnant women with overweight or obesity on early childhood outcomes: an individual participant data meta-analysis from randomised trials

BMC Medicine ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennie Louise ◽  
Amanda J. Poprzeczny ◽  
Andrea R. Deussen ◽  
Christina Vinter ◽  
Mette Tanvig ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Childhood Obesity ◽  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Lifestyle Intervention ◽  
Literature Search ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Systematic Literature Search ◽  
Individual Participant Data ◽  
Individual Participant

Abstract Background The impact of maternal obesity extends beyond birth, being independently associated with an increased risk of child obesity. Current evidence demonstrates that women provided with a dietary intervention during pregnancy improve their dietary quality and have a modest reduction in gestational weight gain. However, the effect of this on longer-term childhood obesity-related outcomes is unknown. Methods We conducted an individual participant data meta-analysis from RCTs in which women with a singleton, live gestation between 10+0 and 20+0 weeks and body mass index (BMI) ≥ 25 kg/m2 in early pregnancy were randomised to a diet and/or lifestyle intervention or continued standard antenatal care and in which longer-term maternal and child follow-up at 3–5 years of age had been undertaken. The primary childhood outcome was BMI z-score above the 90th percentile. Secondary childhood outcomes included skinfold thickness measurements and body circumferences, fat-free mass, dietary and physical activity patterns, blood pressure, and neurodevelopment. Results Seven primary trials where follow-up of participants occurred were identified by a systematic literature search within the International Weight Management in Pregnancy (i-WIP) Collaborative Group collaboration, with six providing individual participant data. No additional studies were identified after a systematic literature search. A total of 2529 children and 2383 women contributed data. Approximately 30% of all child participants had a BMI z-score above the 90th percentile, with no significant difference between the intervention and control groups (aRR 0.97; 95% CI 0.87, 1.08; p=0.610). There were no statistically significant differences identified for any of the secondary outcome measures. Conclusions In overweight and obese pregnant women, we found no evidence that maternal dietary and/or lifestyle intervention during pregnancy modifies the risk of early childhood obesity. Future research may need to target the pre-conception period in women and early childhood interventions. Trial registration PROSPERO, CRD42016047165

scholarly journals Association between retirement and mortality: working longer, living longer? A systematic review and meta-analysis

2020 ◽  
Vol 74 (5) ◽  
pp. 473-480
Author(s):  
Ranu Sewdas ◽  
Astrid de Wind ◽  
Sari Stenholm ◽  
Pieter Coenen ◽  
Ilse Louwerse ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Regression Analysis ◽  
Early Retirement ◽  
Literature Search ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Systematic Literature Search ◽  
Random Effects Models ◽  
Risk Of Mortality ◽  
Meta Regression ◽  
Meta Regression Analysis

AimThis study summarised available evidence on the association between early and on-time retirement, compared with continued working, and mortality. Moreover, this study investigated whether and to what extent gender, adjustment for demographics and prior health status influence this association.MethodsA systematic literature search of longitudinal studies was conducted. A qualitative analysis of the included studies was performed, followed by a meta-regression analysis to assess the influence of gender, prior health and demographics. Random-effects models were used in a meta-analysis to estimate the pooled effects for relevant subgroups identified in the meta-regression.ResultsIn total, 25 studies were included. Adjustment for prior health and demographics influenced the association between retirement and mortality (p<0.05). The results of the meta-analysis of 12 studies are presented for ‘insufficiently adjusted’ and ‘fully adjusted’ subgroups. There was no association between early retirement and mortality compared with working until retirement (fully adjusted subgroup: HR 1.05, 95% CI 0.87 to 1.28). On-time retirement was associated with a higher risk of mortality compared with working beyond retirement (insufficiently adjusted subgroup: HR 1.56, 95% CI 1.41 to 1.73). However, in the subgroup that adjusted for prior health, on-time retirement was not associated with mortality (HR 1.12, 95% CI 0.98 to 1.28).ConclusionEarly retirement was not associated with a higher risk of mortality. On-time retirement was associated with a higher risk of mortality, which might reflect the healthy worker effect. It is important to consider information on prior health and demographics when studying the association between retirement and mortality to avoid biased findings.

scholarly journals Association of genetic variants in enamel-formation genes with dental caries: A meta- and gene-cluster analysis

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xueyan Li ◽  
DI LIU ◽  
Sun Yang ◽  
Jingyun Yang ◽  
Youcheng Yu
Keyword(s):  
Cluster Analysis ◽  
Dental Caries ◽  
Gene Cluster ◽  
Genetic Variants ◽  
Literature Search ◽  
Genetic Variant ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Systematic Literature Search ◽  
Enamel Formation

Previous studies have reported the association between multiple genetic variants in enamel formation-related genes and the risk of dental caries with inconsistent results. We performed a systematic literature search of the PubMed, Cochrane Library, HuGE and Google Scholar databases for studies published before March 21, 2020 and conducted meta-, gene-based and gene-cluster analysis on the association between genetic variants in enamel- formation-related genes and the risk of dental caries. Our systematic literature search identified 21 relevant publications including a total of 24 studies for analysis. The genetic variant rs17878486 in AMELX was significantly associated with dental caries risk (OR=1.40, 95% CI: 1.02-1.93, P=0.037). We found no significant association between the risk of dental caries with rs12640848 in ENAM (OR=1.15, 95% CI: 0.88-1.52, P=0.310), rs1784418 in MMP20 (OR=1.07, 95% CI: 0.76-1.49, P=0.702) and rs3796704 in ENAM (OR=1.06, 95% CI: 0.96-1.17, P=0.228). Gene-based analysis indicated that multiple genetic variants in AMELX showed joint association with the risk of dental caries (6 variants; P<10-5), so did genetic variants in MMP13 (3 variants; P=0.004), MMP2 (3 variants; P<10-5), MMP20 (2 variants; P<10-5) and MMP3 (2 variants; P<10-5). The gene-cluster analysis indicated a significant association between the genetic variants in this enamel-formation gene cluster and the risk of dental caries (P<10-5). The present meta-analysis revealed that genetic variant rs17878486 in AMELX were associated with dental caries, and multiple genetic variants in enamel-formation-related genes jointly contribute to the risk of dental caries, supporting the role of genetic variants in the enamel-formation genes in the etiology of dental caries.

scholarly journals How Much Does Education Improve Intelligence? A Meta-Analysis

2018 ◽  
Vol 29 (8) ◽  
pp. 1358-1369 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stuart J. Ritchie ◽  
Elliot M. Tucker-Drob
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Effect Sizes ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Policy Changes ◽  
Compulsory Schooling ◽  
Beneficial Effects ◽  
Regression Discontinuity Designs ◽  
Intelligence Test Scores ◽  
Schooling Policy

Intelligence test scores and educational duration are positively correlated. This correlation could be interpreted in two ways: Students with greater propensity for intelligence go on to complete more education, or a longer education increases intelligence. We meta-analyzed three categories of quasiexperimental studies of educational effects on intelligence: those estimating education-intelligence associations after controlling for earlier intelligence, those using compulsory schooling policy changes as instrumental variables, and those using regression-discontinuity designs on school-entry age cutoffs. Across 142 effect sizes from 42 data sets involving over 600,000 participants, we found consistent evidence for beneficial effects of education on cognitive abilities of approximately 1 to 5 IQ points for an additional year of education. Moderator analyses indicated that the effects persisted across the life span and were present on all broad categories of cognitive ability studied. Education appears to be the most consistent, robust, and durable method yet to be identified for raising intelligence.

Test Frequency, Stakes, and Feedback in Student Achievement: A Meta-Analysis

2019 ◽  
Vol 43 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 111-151 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard P. Phelps
Keyword(s):  
Student Achievement ◽  
Early Childhood ◽  
Effect Size ◽  
English Language ◽  
Variance Estimation ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
The United States ◽  
Research Literature ◽  
Effect Sizes ◽  
Test Frequency

Background: Test frequency, stakes associated with educational tests, and feedback from test results have been identified in the research literature as relevant factors in student achievement. Objectives: Summarize the separate and joint contribution to student achievement of these three treatments and their interactions via multivariable meta-analytic techniques using a database of English-language studies spanning a century (1910–2010), comprising 149 studies and 509 effect size estimates. Research design: Analysis employed robust variance estimation. Considered as potential moderators were hundreds of study features comprising various test designs and test administration, demographic, and source document characteristics. Subjects: Subjects were students at all levels, from early childhood to adult, mostly from the United States but also eight other countries. Results: We find a summary effect size of 0.84 for the three treatments collectively. Further analysis suggests benefits accrue to the incremental addition of combinations of testing and feedback or stakes and feedback. Moderator analysis shows higher effect sizes associated with the following study characteristics: more recent year of publication, summative (rather than formative) testing, constructed (rather than selected) item response formats, alignment of subject matter between pre- and posttests, and recognition/recall (rather than core subjects, art, or physical education). Conversely, lower effect sizes are associated with postsecondary students (rather than early childhood–upper secondary), special education population, larger study population, random assignment (rather than another sampling method), use of shadow test as outcome measure, designation of individuals (rather than groups) as units of analysis, and academic (rather than corporate or government) research.

scholarly journals Comparative clinical trials in psychotherapy: Have large effects been replicated?

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nickolas D. Frost ◽  
Thomas W. Baskin ◽  
Bruce E. Wampold
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Trials ◽  
Treatment Efficacy ◽  
Literature Search ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Effect Sizes ◽  
Depression And Anxiety ◽  
Inclusion Criteria ◽  
Average Quality ◽  
Meta Analyses

Abstract Aims The purpose of this review is to examine the replication attempts of psychotherapy clinical trials for depression and anxiety. We focus specifically on replications of trials that exhibit large differences between psychotherapies. The replicability of these trials is especially important for meta-analysis, where the inclusion of false-positive trials can lead to erroneous conclusions about treatment efficacy. Methods Standard replication criteria were developed to distinguish direct from conceptual replication methodologies. Next, an exhaustive literature search was conducted for published meta-analyses of psychotherapy comparisons. Trials that exhibited large effects (d > 0.8) were culled from these meta-analyses. For each trial, a cited replication was conducted to determine if the trial had been subsequently replicated by either ‘direct’ or ‘conceptual’ methods. Finally, a broader search was conducted to examine the extent of replication efforts in the psychotherapy literature overall. Results In the meta-analytic search, a total of N = 10 meta-analyses met the inclusion criteria. From these meta-analyses, N = 12 distinct trials exhibited large effect sizes. The meta-analyses containing more than two large effect trials reported evidence for treatment superiority. A cited replication search yielded no direct replication attempts (N = 0) for the trials with large effects, and N = 4 conceptual replication attempts of average or above average quality. However, of these four attempts, only two partially corroborated the results from their original trial. Conclusion Meta-analytic reviews are influenced by trials with large effects, and it is not uncommon for these reviews to contain several such trials. Since we find no evidence that trials with such large effects are directly replicable, treatment superiority conclusions from these reviews are highly questionable. To enhance the quality of clinical science, the development of authoritative replication criteria for clinical trials is needed. Moreover, quality benchmarks should be considered before trials are included in a meta-analysis, or replications are attempted.

scholarly journals The effects of shoe collar height on ankle sprain mechanics in athletes: A review of literature

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 221-230
Author(s):  
Jojo Hoi-Ching Lai ◽  
Samuel KK Ling ◽  
Patrick Cacho ◽  
SW Mok ◽  
Patrick SH Yung
Keyword(s):  
Ankle Sprain ◽  
Muscle Activation ◽  
Literature Search ◽  
Dynamic Testing ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Systematic Literature Search ◽  
Review Of Literature ◽  
Weak Evidence ◽  
Future Direction

Background: Our aim was to conduct a review to summarize the existing information regarding the effects of shoe collar height in altering ankle sprain mechanics in athletes. Methods: A systematic literature search of PubMed, Embase, MEDLINE, and SPORTDiscus was conducted in September 2019. Results: There were 10 studies published from 1993 to 2019 that were included. Most studies showed high-top shoes limited ankle sprain kinematics and increased resistance to inversion moment in static but not dynamic testing. High-top shoes were associated with delayed pre-landing ankle evertor muscle activation and smaller electromyography amplitudes. Conclusions: There is currently weak evidence to support that high-top shoes can limit ankle sprain kinematics in dynamic testing. Further studies with more consistent study interventions and outcome variables are needed to definitively establish the effects of shoe collar height on ankle sprain mechanics in athletes. The Translational Potential of this Article: Multiple studies on the effects of shoe collar height and ankle sprain mechanics have been performed but there is a lack of consistency in terms of study design, intervention, and outcome measures. A formal systematic review and meta-analysis were not applicable due to the heterogeneity of studies, and mixed results from these studies can be confusing to interpret, making further research on this topic difficult as a result of lack of future direction. We summarized the existing literature on this topic to provide a clearer picture and guide future research on this controversial matter.

Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses

2018 ◽  
Vol 157 (04) ◽  
pp. 392-399
Author(s):  
Sebastian Scheidt ◽  
Patrick Vavken ◽  
Cornelius Jacobs ◽  
Sebastian Koob ◽  
Davide Cucchi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Reviews ◽  
Scientific Knowledge ◽  
Literature Search ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Review Article ◽  
Systematic Literature Search ◽  
Meta Analyses

AbstractThe rising number of medical publications makes it difficult to keep up-to-date on scientific knowledge. In recent years, reviews in the form of narrative or systematic publications and meta-analyses have increased. These can only be interpreted and evaluated if the reader understands the techniques used. This review article describes the differences between narrative and systematic reviews, together with the characteristics of meta-analysis, and discusses their interpretation. The concept of systematic reviews and meta-analysis includes a systematic literature search and summary, together with an appraisal of the quality of the publications. Systematic reviews are often considered to be original studies due to their structure and ability to reduce bias.

scholarly journals Use of E-values for addressing confounding in observational studies—an empirical assessment of the literature

2020 ◽  
Vol 49 (5) ◽  
pp. 1482-1494 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manuel R Blum ◽  
Yuan Jin Tan ◽  
John P A Ioannidis
Keyword(s):  
Observational Studies ◽  
Literature Search ◽  
Original Data ◽  
Case Control ◽  
Careful Consideration ◽  
Effect Sizes ◽  
Systematic Literature Search ◽  
Similar Magnitude ◽  
Unmeasured Confounding ◽  
Residual Confounding

Abstract Background E-values are a recently introduced approach to evaluate confounding in observational studies. We aimed to empirically assess the current use of E-values in published literature. Methods We conducted a systematic literature search for all publications, published up till the end of 2018, which cited at least one of two inceptive E-value papers and presented E-values for original data. For these case publications we identified control publications, matched by journal and issue, where the authors had not calculated E-values. Results In total, 87 papers presented 516 E-values. Of the 87 papers, 14 concluded that residual confounding likely threatens at least some of the main conclusions. Seven of these 14 named potential uncontrolled confounders. 19 of 87 papers related E-value magnitudes to expected strengths of field-specific confounders. The median E-value was 1.88, 1.82, and 2.02 for the 43, 348, and 125 E-values where confounding was felt likely to affect the results, unlikely to affect the results, or not commented upon, respectively. The 69 case-control publication pairs dealt with effect sizes of similar magnitude. Of 69 control publications, 52 did not comment on unmeasured confounding and 44/69 case publications concluded that confounding was unlikely to affect study conclusions. Conclusions Few papers using E-values conclude that confounding threatens their results, and their E-values overlap in magnitude with those of papers acknowledging susceptibility to confounding. Facile automation in calculating E-values may compound the already poor handling of confounding. E-values should not be a substitute for careful consideration of potential sources of unmeasured confounding. If used, they should be interpreted in the context of expected confounding in specific fields.

scholarly journals Prediction of mortality in adult patients with sepsis using six biomarkers: a systematic review and meta-analysis

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreas Pregernig ◽  
Mattia Müller ◽  
Ulrike Held ◽  
Beatrice Beck-Schimmer
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Literature Search ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Advanced Glycation Endproducts ◽  
Adult Patients ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Systematic Literature Search ◽  
Prognostic Information ◽  
Prediction Of Mortality ◽  
Mean Differences

Abstract Background Angiopoietin-1 (Ang-1) and 2 (Ang-2), high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1), soluble receptor for advanced glycation endproducts (sRAGE), soluble triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 1 (sTREM1), and soluble urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR) have shown promising results for predicting all-cause mortality in critical care patients. The aim of our systematic review and meta-analysis was to assess the prognostic value of these biomarkers for mortality in adult patients with sepsis. Methods A systematic literature search of the MEDLINE, PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library databases, for articles in English published from 01.01.1990 onwards, was conducted. The systematic review focused exclusively on observational studies of adult patients with sepsis, any randomized trials were excluded. For the meta-analysis, only studies which provide biomarker concentrations within 24 h of admission in sepsis survivors and nonsurvivors were included. Results are presented as pooled mean differences (MD) between nonsurvivors and survivors with 95% confidence interval for each of the six biomarkers. Studies not included in the quantitative analysis were narratively summarized. The risk of bias was assessed in all included studies using the Quality in Prognosis Studies (QUIPS) tool. Results The systematic literature search retrieved 2285 articles. In total, we included 44 studies in the qualitative analysis, of which 28 were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled mean differences in biomarker concentration (nonsurvivors − survivors), measured at onset of sepsis, are listed as follows: (1) Ang-1: − 2.9 ng/ml (95% CI − 4.1 to − 1.7, p < 0.01); (2) Ang-2: 4.9 ng/ml (95% CI 2.6 to 7.1, p < 0.01); (3) HMGB1: 1.2 ng/ml (95% CI 0.0 to 2.4, p = 0.05); (4) sRAGE: 1003 pg/ml (95% CI 628 to 1377, p < 0.01); (5) sTREM-1: 87 pg/ml (95% CI 2 to 171, p = 0.04); (6) suPAR: 5.2 ng/ml (95% CI 4.5 to 6.0, p < 0.01). Conclusions Ang-1, Ang-2, and suPAR provide beneficial prognostic information about mortality in adult patients with sepsis. The further development of standardized assays and the assessment of their performance when included in panels with other biomarkers may be recommended. Trial registration This study was recorded on PROSPERO, prospective register of systematic reviews, under the registration ID: CRD42018081226

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