A review of the study designs and statistical methods used in the determination of predictors of all-cause mortality in HIV-infected cohorts: 2002-2011.
Research in the predictors of all-cause mortality in HIV-infected people has widely been reported in literature. Making an informed decision requires understanding the methods used.We present a review on study designs, statistical methods and their appropriateness in original articles reporting on p...
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doaj-df47085d1d5640538c59fd669f4806232020-11-25T02:52:25ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032014-01-0192e8735610.1371/journal.pone.0087356A review of the study designs and statistical methods used in the determination of predictors of all-cause mortality in HIV-infected cohorts: 2002-2011.Kennedy N OtwombeMax PetzoldNeil MartinsonTobias ChirwaResearch in the predictors of all-cause mortality in HIV-infected people has widely been reported in literature. Making an informed decision requires understanding the methods used.We present a review on study designs, statistical methods and their appropriateness in original articles reporting on predictors of all-cause mortality in HIV-infected people between January 2002 and December 2011. Statistical methods were compared between 2002-2006 and 2007-2011. Time-to-event analysis techniques were considered appropriate.Pubmed/Medline.Original English-language articles were abstracted. Letters to the editor, editorials, reviews, systematic reviews, meta-analysis, case reports and any other ineligible articles were excluded.A total of 189 studies were identified (n = 91 in 2002-2006 and n = 98 in 2007-2011) out of which 130 (69%) were prospective and 56 (30%) were retrospective. One hundred and eighty-two (96%) studies described their sample using descriptive statistics while 32 (17%) made comparisons using t-tests. Kaplan-Meier methods for time-to-event analysis were commonly used in the earlier period (n = 69, 76% vs. n = 53, 54%, p = 0.002). Predictors of mortality in the two periods were commonly determined using Cox regression analysis (n = 67, 75% vs. n = 63, 64%, p = 0.12). Only 7 (4%) used advanced survival analysis methods of Cox regression analysis with frailty in which 6 (3%) were used in the later period. Thirty-two (17%) used logistic regression while 8 (4%) used other methods. There were significantly more articles from the first period using appropriate methods compared to the second (n = 80, 88% vs. n = 69, 70%, p-value = 0.003).Descriptive statistics and survival analysis techniques remain the most common methods of analysis in publications on predictors of all-cause mortality in HIV-infected cohorts while prospective research designs are favoured. Sophisticated techniques of time-dependent Cox regression and Cox regression with frailty are scarce. This motivates for more training in the use of advanced time-to-event methods.http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3911971?pdf=render |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Kennedy N Otwombe Max Petzold Neil Martinson Tobias Chirwa |
spellingShingle |
Kennedy N Otwombe Max Petzold Neil Martinson Tobias Chirwa A review of the study designs and statistical methods used in the determination of predictors of all-cause mortality in HIV-infected cohorts: 2002-2011. PLoS ONE |
author_facet |
Kennedy N Otwombe Max Petzold Neil Martinson Tobias Chirwa |
author_sort |
Kennedy N Otwombe |
title |
A review of the study designs and statistical methods used in the determination of predictors of all-cause mortality in HIV-infected cohorts: 2002-2011. |
title_short |
A review of the study designs and statistical methods used in the determination of predictors of all-cause mortality in HIV-infected cohorts: 2002-2011. |
title_full |
A review of the study designs and statistical methods used in the determination of predictors of all-cause mortality in HIV-infected cohorts: 2002-2011. |
title_fullStr |
A review of the study designs and statistical methods used in the determination of predictors of all-cause mortality in HIV-infected cohorts: 2002-2011. |
title_full_unstemmed |
A review of the study designs and statistical methods used in the determination of predictors of all-cause mortality in HIV-infected cohorts: 2002-2011. |
title_sort |
review of the study designs and statistical methods used in the determination of predictors of all-cause mortality in hiv-infected cohorts: 2002-2011. |
publisher |
Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
series |
PLoS ONE |
issn |
1932-6203 |
publishDate |
2014-01-01 |
description |
Research in the predictors of all-cause mortality in HIV-infected people has widely been reported in literature. Making an informed decision requires understanding the methods used.We present a review on study designs, statistical methods and their appropriateness in original articles reporting on predictors of all-cause mortality in HIV-infected people between January 2002 and December 2011. Statistical methods were compared between 2002-2006 and 2007-2011. Time-to-event analysis techniques were considered appropriate.Pubmed/Medline.Original English-language articles were abstracted. Letters to the editor, editorials, reviews, systematic reviews, meta-analysis, case reports and any other ineligible articles were excluded.A total of 189 studies were identified (n = 91 in 2002-2006 and n = 98 in 2007-2011) out of which 130 (69%) were prospective and 56 (30%) were retrospective. One hundred and eighty-two (96%) studies described their sample using descriptive statistics while 32 (17%) made comparisons using t-tests. Kaplan-Meier methods for time-to-event analysis were commonly used in the earlier period (n = 69, 76% vs. n = 53, 54%, p = 0.002). Predictors of mortality in the two periods were commonly determined using Cox regression analysis (n = 67, 75% vs. n = 63, 64%, p = 0.12). Only 7 (4%) used advanced survival analysis methods of Cox regression analysis with frailty in which 6 (3%) were used in the later period. Thirty-two (17%) used logistic regression while 8 (4%) used other methods. There were significantly more articles from the first period using appropriate methods compared to the second (n = 80, 88% vs. n = 69, 70%, p-value = 0.003).Descriptive statistics and survival analysis techniques remain the most common methods of analysis in publications on predictors of all-cause mortality in HIV-infected cohorts while prospective research designs are favoured. Sophisticated techniques of time-dependent Cox regression and Cox regression with frailty are scarce. This motivates for more training in the use of advanced time-to-event methods. |
url |
http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3911971?pdf=render |
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