ArticleBMJ open2013
Evidence for non-communicable diseases: analysis of Cochrane reviews and randomised trials by World Bank classification.
Article in BMJ open, 2013. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 38 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
38 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Global guidelines for emergency general surgery: systematic review and Delphi prioritization process.BJS open · 2022Pooled it
- Best Nursing Intervention Practices to Prevent Non-Communicable Disease: A Systematic Review.Public health reviews · 2022Pooled it
- Non-communicable diseases research output in the Eastern Mediterranean region: an overview of systematic reviews.BMC medical research methodology · 2020Pooled it
- The prevalence, awareness, and control of hypertension among workers in West Africa: a systematic review.Global health action · 2015Pooled it
- Adaptation of the Wound Healing Questionnaire universal-reporter outcome measure for use in global surgery trials (TALON-1 study): mixed-methods study and Rasch analysis.The British journal of surgery · 2023Trial
- Trial
- Setting up a clinical trial for a novel disease: a case study of the Doxycycline for the Treatment of Nodding Syndrome Trial - challenges, enablers and lessons learned.Global health action · 2018Trial
- The Global Clinical Trial Landscape for Children and Adolescents With Cancer.JAMA network open · 2026Article
- Cancer immunotherapy clinical trials to support urgently needed access in low- and middle-income countries: a report from the SITC global access and impact committee.Journal for immunotherapy of cancer · 2025Review
- Evaluation of intervention systematic reviews on chronic non-communicable diseases and lifestyle risk factors in low-middle income countries: meta-research.BMC medical research methodology · 2025Article
- Network analysis of cross-income-level collaboration on multiple myeloma in sub-Saharan Africa.npj health systems · 2025Article
- Validation of nutritional screening tools in patients undergoing cancer surgery in low- and middle-income countries.Frontiers in nutrition · 2025Article
- Global Equity in Clinical Trials: An ASCO Policy Statement.JCO global oncology · 2024Article
- Under-representation of older Indian persons with cancer in clinical trials.BMJ oncology · 2024Article
- Radiation Oncology Research in Asia: Current Status and a Peep Into the Future From the Federation of Asian Organizations for Radiation Oncology.JCO global oncology · 2023Article
- Applicability of European Society of Cardiology guidelines according to gross national income.European heart journal · 2023Article
- The Effects of the Ukrainian Conflict on Oncological Care: The Latest State of the Art.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- Current Scenario of Clinical Cancer Research in Latin America and the Caribbean.Current oncology (Toronto, Ont.) · 2023Review
- "I tell you, getting data for this is hell"-Exploring the use of evidence for noncommunicable disease policies in Ghana.PLOS global public health · 2023Article
- Identifying Priorities and Needs to Improve Oncology Research in the Gaza Strip, Palestine.Journal of multidisciplinary healthcare · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
23 authors.
Funding
Abstract
introductionPrevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) is increasing globally, with the greatest projected increases in low-income and middle-income countries. We sought to quantify the proportion of Cochrane evidence relating to NCDs derived from such countries.
methodsWe searched the Cochrane database of systematic reviews for reviews relating to NCDs highlighted in the WHO NCD action plan (cardiovascular, cancers, diabetes and chronic respiratory diseases). We excluded reviews at the protocol stage and those that were repeated or had been withdrawn. For each review, two independent researchers extracted data relating to the country of the corresponding author and the number of trials and participants from countries, using the World Bank classification of gross national income per capita.
results797 reviews were analysed, with a reported total number of 12 340 trials and 10 937 306 participants. Of the corresponding authors 90% were from high-income countries (41% from the UK). Of the 746 reviews in which at least one trial had met the inclusion criteria, only 55% provided a summary of the country of included trials. Analysis of the 633 reviews in which country of trials could be established revealed that almost 90% of trials and over 80% of participants were from high-income countries. 438 (5%) trials including 1 145 013 (11.7%) participants were undertaken in low-middle income countries. We found that only 13 (0.15%) trials with 982 (0.01%) participants were undertaken in low-income countries. Other than the five Cochrane NCD corresponding authors from South Africa, only one other corresponding author was from Africa (Gambia). DISCUSSION: The overwhelming body of evidence for NCDs pertains to high-income countries, with only a small number of review authors based in low-income settings. As a consequence, there is an urgent need for research infrastructure and funding for the undertaking of high-quality trials in this area.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.