Clinical Efficacy of Infantile Massage in the Treatment of Infant Functional Constipation: A Meta-Analysis

Background: Functional constipation in children is a common disease that causes a psychological burden on infants and young children across the world. It will greatly affect infant quality of life in early childhood and even affect their psychological and physical health. At present, infant functional constipation is treated with western drugs alone, but this can produce drug dependency. In recent years, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) infant massage has been used as a complementary and alternative therapy, and its effectiveness and safety have been proven, attracting the attention of numerous researchers.Objective: Our study aimed to compare the influence of infant massage intervention on defecation frequency and consistency, determine the effectiveness, and safety of infant massage in the treatment of infant functional constipation, and obtain high-quality clinical evidence.Methods: Based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) Statement, inclusion, and exclusion criteria were formulated. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on TCM infant massage for the treatment of infant functional constipation were found following a search of four mainstream medical databases. RCTs found to meet the study's requirement were included; data information was then extracted, and the quality was assessed using the Cochrane bias risk assessment tool. Through RevMan software, a meta-analysis was carried out for overall effective rate, stool form, defecation frequency, defecation difficulty, and constipation symptom scoring index. The relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) were calculated, heterogeneity was tested and its source was found, and publication bias was assessed through the Egger's and Begg's tests and by means of funnel plots.Results: A total of 23 RCTs and 2,005 patients were included. The results of the meta-analysis showed that compared to drug therapy alone, TCM infant massage had a superior effect on the treatment of infant functional constipation. This difference was statistically significant (p < 0.05) and evaluated according to the overall effective rate (RR = 1.25; 95% CI = 1.17, 1.33), defecation frequency [mean difference (MD) = −0.72; 95% CI = −0.80, −0.65], and constipation symptom score (MD = −0.81; 95% CI = −1.20, −0.43), showing that TCM infant massage is indeed superior to drug therapy alone in the treatment of infant functional constipation. TCM infant massage was found to be equivalent to drug therapy alone in terms of the stool form score [−0.30 (−0.38, −0.22)] and the defecation difficulty score [−0.73 (−0.81, −0.65)], since the difference was not statistically significant (p > 0.05). The source of heterogeneity might be related to the state of patient, manipulation of the massages, efficacy of drugs in the control group, and difference in judgment criteria for efficacy. The Egger's test and Begg's test showed that publication bias did not occur in our study.Conclusion: TCM infant massage can increase defecation frequency and reduce the symptoms of constipation in children suffering from functional constipation; in addition, the clinical trial showed beneficial effects. Since some of the RCTs featured a very small sample size, the reliability and validity of our study's conclusion may have been affected as well; therefore, the explanation should be treated with some caution. In the future, a large number of higher-quality RCTs are still needed to confirm the results of our study.

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Action and Inaction in Moral Judgments and Decisions: Meta-Analysis of Omission Bias Omission-Commission Asymmetries

Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin ◽

10.1177/01461672211042315 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 014616722110423

Author(s):

Siu Kit Yeung ◽

Tijen Yay ◽

Gilad Feldman

Keyword(s):

Confidence Interval ◽

Low Power ◽

Publication Bias ◽

Study Design ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Real Life ◽

Small Sample ◽

Moral Judgments ◽

Omission Bias ◽

Outcome Type

Omission bias is people’s tendency to evaluate harm done through omission as less morally wrong and less blameworthy than commission when there is harm. However, findings are inconsistent. We conducted a preregistered meta-analysis, with 21 samples (13 articles, 49 effects) on omission-commission asymmetries in judgments and decisions. We found an overall effect of g = 0.45, 95% confidence interval (CI) = [0.14, 0.77], with stronger effects for morality and blame than for decisions. Publication bias tests produced mixed results with some indication for publication bias, though effects persisted even after most publication bias adjustments. The small sample of studies included limited our ability to draw definite conclusions regarding moderators, with inconclusive findings when applying different models. After compensating for low power, we found indication for moderation by role responsibility, perspective (self vs. others), outcome type, and study design. We hope this meta-analysis will inspire research on this phenomenon and applications to real-life, especially given the raging pandemic. Materials, data, and code are available on https://osf.io/9fcqm/ .

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External Use of Propolis for Oral, Skin, and Genital Diseases: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine ◽

10.1155/2017/8025752 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 2017 ◽

pp. 1-10 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Soo-Hyun Sung ◽

Gwang-Ho Choi ◽

Nam-Woo Lee ◽

Byung-Cheul Shin

Keyword(s):

Randomized Clinical Trials ◽

Skin Diseases ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Combined Treatment ◽

Effective Rate ◽

Small Sample ◽

Duration Of Treatment ◽

Randomized Controlled ◽

Small Sample Sizes ◽

Specific Disorders

Objective. The aim of this review is to provide the available evidence on the external use of propolis (EUP) for oral, skin, and genital diseases. Method. We searched twelve electronic databases for relevant studies up to June 2016. Randomized clinical trials (RCTs) were included and analysed. Results. Of the 286 articles identified, twelve potentially relevant studies met our inclusion criteria. A meta-analysis of two studies on recurrent oral aphthae (ROA) indicated that there were no significant differences in total effective rate (TER) for pain disappearance between EUP and placebo groups (RR = 1.96, 95% CI = 0.97–3.98, and P=0.06). In two studies on skin diseases, the combined treatment of EUP with other interventions revealed significant effects on the duration of treatment or TER. In one study on genital diseases, EUP showed significant differences in genital herpes outcome measures compared to placebo. Conclusions. Our results on the effectiveness of EUP for treating oral, skin, and genital diseases are not conclusive because of the low methodological qualities and small sample sizes. Further well-designed randomized controlled trials, with high quality and large samples for specific disorders, must be conducted to obtain firm conclusions.

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Prevalence of overweight/obesity among the adult population in Ethiopia: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2020-039200 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (8) ◽

pp. e039200

Author(s):

Ayelign Mengesha Kassie ◽

Biruk Beletew Abate ◽

Mesfin Wudu Kassaw

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Sample Size ◽

Publication Bias ◽

Small Sample Size ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Overweight And Obesity ◽

Small Sample ◽

Urban Settings ◽

Pooled Prevalence ◽

Prevalence Of Obesity

BackgroundOverweight and obesity are emerging public health problems in Ethiopia. However, primary study findings on the prevalence of overweight and obesity in Ethiopia are inconsistent. Therefore, this study aimed to estimate the pooled prevalence of overweight and obesity among adults in Ethiopia.MethodsStudies that looked at overweight and obesity among adults were searched from four international databases. The search involved articles published from 1 January 2010 to 10 March 2020. The Cochran’s Q χ2 and the I2 test statistics were used to check heterogeneity among the studies. The funnel plot and Egger’s regression tests were also used to assess the presence of publication bias. Subgroup analysis was performed by residence, study setting, sample size and year of study. Sensitivity analysis was also done to assess the effect of a single study on the pooled estimates. Data analysis was done using STATA V.14 software program.ResultsA total of 16 studies with 19 527 study participants were included in this systematic review and meta-analysis. The estimated pooled prevalence of overweight among adults in Ethiopia was 20.4%, and after adjustment for publication bias with the trim-and-fill analysis, the estimated prevalence rate was changed to 19%. Besides, the estimated pooled prevalence of obesity was 5.4%. The prevalence of overweight was higher, 22.6% in studies published since 2015, 22.4% in studies conducted only in urban settings and 24.4% in studies with small sample size (≤384 participants). Similarly, the prevalence of obesity was 6.9% in studies published since 2015, 6.2% in studies conducted only in urban settings, 6.4% in institution-based settings and 9.6% in studies with small sample size.ConclusionThe prevalence of overweight and obesity is high in Ethiopia compared with previous studies. This needs large scale awareness creation campaigns and situation-based and context-specific prevention strategies.

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Normative Values for Colonic Transit Time and Patient Assessment of Constipation in Adults With Functional Constipation: Systematic Review With Meta-Analysis

Clinical Medicine Insights Gastroenterology ◽

10.1177/1179552217729343 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 10 ◽

pp. 117955221772934 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Larry E Miller ◽

Alvin Ibarra ◽

Arthur C Ouwehand

Keyword(s):

Publication Bias ◽

Transit Time ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Functional Constipation ◽

Colonic Transit ◽

Colonic Transit Time ◽

Significant Heterogeneity ◽

Patient Assessment ◽

Rome Iii ◽

Meta Regression

Availability of normative patient outcome data may assist in designing experiments and estimating sample sizes. The purpose of this review was to determine normative ranges for colonic transit time (CTT), Patient Assessment of Constipation-Symptoms (PAC-SYM), and Patient Assessment of Constipation-Quality of Life (PAC-QOL) in adults diagnosed with functional constipation per Rome III guidelines. Pooled estimates were derived from random-effects meta-analysis. Meta-regression was used to explore sources of heterogeneity among studies. A total of 24 studies (3786 patients) were included in the review. In 10 studies with 1119 patients, pooled CTT was 58 hours (95% confidence interval [CI]: 50-65 hours). Publication bias was not evident (Egger P = .51); heterogeneity was high ( I2 = 92%, P < .001). In meta-regression, geographical location explained 57% of the between-study variance, with CTT significantly longer in studies conducted in Europe (71 hours) compared with Asia (49 hours) or the Americas (44 hours). In 9 studies with 2061 patients, pooled PAC-SYM was 1.70 (95% CI: 1.58-1.83). Publication bias was not evident (Egger P = .44). Heterogeneity was high ( I2 = 90%, P < .001); however, no study or patient factor influenced PAC-SYM in meta-regression. In 12 studies with 1805 patients, pooled PAC-QOL was 1.97 (95% CI: 1.70-2.24). Publication bias was not evident (Egger P = .28); heterogeneity was high ( I2 = 98%, P < .001). In meta-regression, age explained 52% of the between-study variance, with older age associated with lower PAC-QOL scores. Overall, in adults diagnosed with functional constipation per Rome III criteria, significant heterogeneity in CTT, PAC-SYM, and PAC-QOL exists among studies. Variability among studies may be explained by geography and patient factors.

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The Impact of Mindfulness-Based Programmes on Self-Compassion in Nonclinical Populations: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Mindfulness ◽

10.1007/s12671-020-01501-8 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

pp. 29-52

Author(s):

Hannah L. Golden ◽

Jane Vosper ◽

Jessica Kingston ◽

Lyn Ellett

Keyword(s):

Publication Bias ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Small Sample ◽

Medium Effect ◽

Future Research ◽

Significant Heterogeneity ◽

Self Compassion ◽

Small Sample Sizes ◽

Randomised Controlled ◽

The Impact

Abstract Objectives Self-compassion has been proposed as a mechanism of change in mindfulness-based programmes (MBPs). The current study systematically reviewed the evidence for the effect of MBPs on self-compassion, in randomised controlled trials addressing broad mental health outcomes (depression, anxiety and stress) in nonclinical populations, and statistically synthesisesd these findings in a meta-analysis. Methods Three databases were systematically searched, and pre-post programme between group effect sizes (Hedges g) were calculated and synthesised using meta-analytic procedures. Correlation between change in self-compassion and distress (r) was also assessed. Moderator analyses were conducted and publication bias was assessed. Results Twenty-six studies met inclusion criteria (n = 598). A significant medium effect of pre-post change on self-compassion was found for MBPs compared to control conditions (g = 0.60, 95% CI = 0.41 to 0.80, p < 0.001). There was significant heterogeneity in the study sample, and no differences found for any of the moderators tested. There was no strong evidence for publication bias. Meta-analysis of correlation between change in self-compassion and distress was underpowered and found no significant effect. The improvement in self-compassion following MBI was not always consistent with improvements in depression or anxiety. Conclusions The results suggest that MBPs can increase self-compassion in nonclinical populations, though the moderators of this effect remain unknown. Methodological limitations include small sample sizes, over-reliance on wait-list control conditions and limitations in how self-compassion is measured. Theoretical and clinical implications of the review, and future research directions, are also discussed.

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Acupotomy for Osteoarthritis of the Knee; A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Journal of Acupuncture Research ◽

10.13045/jar.2020.00339 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 38 (2) ◽

pp. 96-109

Author(s):

Seung Min Lee ◽

Cham Kyul Lee ◽

Kyung Ho Kim ◽

Eun Jung Kim ◽

Chan Yung Jung ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Knee Osteoarthritis ◽

Western Medicine ◽

Small Sample Size ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Intervention Group ◽

Effective Rate ◽

Small Sample ◽

Control Group ◽

Osteoarthritis Of The Knee ◽

Randomized Controlled

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of acupotomy for the treatment of patients with knee osteoarthritis. There were 9 databases searched to retrieve randomized controlled trials until August 3, 2019 regarding acupotomy versus conventional Western medicine, conventional Western medicine treatment with and without acupotomy, and Korean medicine treatment with and without acupotomy, and meta-analysis was performed. Of 303 potentially relevant studies retrieved, 43 were systematically reviewed. All studies were conducted in China. Effective rate, visual analogue scale, and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis index were used as the evaluation scales. The Ashi point was selected most frequently. In all studies, the intervention group was more effective than the control group. Meta-analysis revealed that acupotomy showed statistically significant beneficial results. Although acupotomy had a beneficial effect on knee osteoarthritis, the risk of bias of the included studies was not low. The majority of the results from the evaluation scales used were highly heterogeneous (> 50%) which reduced confidence in the estimation of effect, or had a small sample size. Further clinical research and development is required in the future.

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Acupuncture combined with swallowing training for poststroke dysphagia: a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials

Acupuncture in Medicine ◽

10.1136/acupmed-2016-011305 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 37 (2) ◽

pp. 81-90

Author(s):

Ling Xin Li ◽

Kai Deng

Keyword(s):

Publication Bias ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Analysis Data ◽

Effective Rate ◽

China National Knowledge Infrastructure ◽

Swallowing Function ◽

Standard Mean Difference ◽

Trim And Fill ◽

Randomised Controlled ◽

Fail Safe

Objective: This meta-analysis aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of the combination of acupuncture with swallowing training for poststroke dysphagia. Method: Nine electronic databases (including PubMed and China National Knowledge Infrastructure) were searched from their inception through June 2016. Seventeen studies were included in this meta-analysis. Data on 1479 eligible patients were extracted, and the relative risk (RR) and standard mean difference (SMD) with 95% CI for the effective rate (ER), swallowing function assessment (SFA), individual activity (IA), eg., modified Barthel Index (MBI) and quality of life (QOL) were evaluated. Results: The pooled ER (RR 1.26, 95% CI 1.19 to 1.34, P<0.001, 14 studies) and SFA (SMD 1.06, 95% CI 0.79 to 1.32, P<0.001, five studies) suggested that combination therapy yielded a significantly higher ER and improved the SFA scores to a greater degree than swallowing training alone in patients with poststroke dysphagia. The pooled QOL score (SMD 1.06; 95% CI −0.04 to 2.17, P=0.06, two studies) did not differ between groups. The MBI data (SMD 1.47, 95% CI 1.07 to 1.87, P<0.001, one study) showed significant improvement in IA. Some evidence of publication bias was observed for the ER, although the trim-and-fill analysis and fail-safe number indicated no influence of publication bias on its pooled effect size. There was no evidence of publication bias of any other outcome measures. Conclusion: This study showed that acupuncture combined with swallowing training may improve the ER, swallowing function and activities of daily life of patients with poststroke dysphagia compared with conventional swallowing training alone.

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Abstract 14670: A Meta-analysis of Survival Outcomes Between Two Uncommon Mechanical Circulatory Support Device Combinations

Circulation ◽

10.1161/circ.142.suppl_3.14670 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 142 (Suppl_3) ◽

Author(s):

Kaushik Amancherla ◽

Jay Patel ◽

Tara Holder ◽

Jared O'Leary

Keyword(s):

Cardiogenic Shock ◽

Publication Bias ◽

Case Reports ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Limb Ischemia ◽

Left Ventricular ◽

Small Sample ◽

Circulatory Support ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Va Ecmo

Introduction: Veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) and Impella devices are being used in increasing frequency for cardiogenic shock. Left ventricular unloading strategies are often used in VA-ECMO. The combination of simultaneous left- and right-sided Impellas, colloquially called “BIPELLA”, also offers biventricular support. There is a paucity of data regarding these combinations of platforms. We performed a systematic review of the literature to assess clinical outcomes in patients treated with ECPELLA and BIPELLA for cardiogenic shock. Methods: A systematic search of PubMed using the terms “ECMO”, “ECPELLA”, “BIPELLA”, and “Impella” was performed. Included studies evaluated mortality and complications associated with use of ECPELLA and/or BiPELLA. Reference lists of eligible studies helped identify additional publications meeting inclusion criteria. Case reports and conference abstracts were excluded. Heterogeneity among eligible studies was assessed using the I2 statistic. Publication bias was assessed using Egger’s regression and visual inspection of funnel plots. The primary outcome was in-hospital or 30-day mortality. Secondary outcomes assessed complications. Results: The results of publication bias assessment are provided in Figure 1A. Egger’s test was not significant (p = 0.56). A total of 139 patients underwent ECPELLA implantation and 20 underwent BIPELLA implantation. Mortality for the overall cohort was 51% with no significant difference between groups (p = 0.93) (Figure 1B). There was no significant difference between the groups with bleeding (p = 0.74), hemolysis (p = 0.34), and limb ischemia (p = 0.58). Conclusion: These data suggest no differences in short-term mortality and certain complications between ECPELLA and BIPELLA strategies. However, the available literature is sparse, with small sample sizes and suffers from a paucity of significant hemodynamic data. Further prospective data are needed.

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The Effects of Auricular Therapy for Cancer Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine ◽

10.1155/2020/1618767 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 2020 ◽

pp. 1-10 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Yulan Yang ◽

Jian Wen ◽

Jianyun Hong

Keyword(s):

Drug Therapy ◽

Pain Relief ◽

Cancer Pain ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Effective Rate ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Auricular Acupuncture ◽

Patients With Cancer ◽

Auricular Therapy ◽

Review Manager

Objective. This study aims to systematically assess the efficacy and safety of auricular therapy for cancer pain. Methods. A systematic search was conducted using PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane library databases, CNKI, VIP, WanFang Data, and CBM for randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Review Manager 5.3 was used for meta-analysis. Results. Of the 275 screened studies, nine RCTs involving 783 patients with cancer pain were systematically reviewed. Compared with drug therapy, auricular therapy plus drug therapy has significant advantages both in the effective rate for pain relief (RR = 1.40; 95% CI 1.22, 1.60; P<0.00001) and adverse effects rate (RR = 0.46; 95% CI 0.37, 0.58; P<0.00001). And the result revealed that auricular acupuncture had superior pain-relieving effects as compared with sham auricular acupuncture (SMD = -1.45; 95% CI -2.80, -0.09; P=0.04). However, the analysis indicated no difference on the effective rate for pain relief between auricular therapy and drug therapy (RR = 1.24; 95% CI 0.71, 2.16; P=0.46). Conclusion. Our meta-analysis indicated that auricular therapy is effective and safe for the treatment of cancer pain, and auricular therapy plus drug therapy is more effective than drug therapy alone, whether in terms of pain relief or adverse reactions. However, the included RCTs had some methodological limitations; future large, rigor, and high-quality RCTs are still needed to confirm the benefits of auricular therapy on cancer pain.

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Meta-analysis on belief in free will manipulations

10.31234/osf.io/quwgr ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Oliver Genschow ◽

Emiel Cracco ◽

Jana Schneider ◽

John Protzko ◽

David Wisniewski ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Free Will ◽

Publication Bias ◽

Cognitive Neuroscience ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Psychological Research ◽

Small Sample ◽

Popular Media ◽

Philosophical Debate

Whether free will exists is a longstanding philosophical debate. Cognitive neuroscience and popular media have been putting forward the idea that free will is an illusion, raising the question of what would happen if people stopped believing in free will altogether. Psychological research has investigated this question by testing the consequences of experimentally weakening people’s belief in free will. The results of these investigations have been mixed, with successful experiments and unsuccessful replications. This raises two fundamental questions that can best be investigated with a meta-analysis: First, can free will beliefs be manipulated and, second, do such manipulations have downstream consequences? In a meta-analysis across 146 experiments (95 unpublished) with a total of 26,305 participants, we show that exposing individuals to anti-free will manipulations decreases belief in free will, g = -0.29, 95% CI = [-0.35, -0.22], and increases belief in determinism, g = 0.17, 95% CI = [0.09, 0.24]. In contrast, we find little evidence for the idea that manipulating belief in free will has downstream consequences after accounting for small sample and publication bias. Together, our findings have important theoretical implications for research on free will beliefs and contribute to the discussion of whether reducing people’s belief in free will has societal consequences.

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