ArticleThe international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity2015
Ignoring regression to the mean leads to unsupported conclusion about obesity.
Article in The international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
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
10 citing papers in PubMed.
- Best (but oft-forgotten) practices: identifying and accounting for regression to the mean in nutrition and obesity research.The American journal of clinical nutrition · 2020Article
- Results of a referral-based weight management program targeted toward children aged 2 to 6 years with obesity or severe obesity.BMC pediatrics · 2019Observational
- Childhood obesity intervention studies: A narrative review and guide for investigators, authors, editors, reviewers, journalists, and readers to guard against exaggerated effectiveness claims.Obesity reviews : an official journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity · 2019Review
- The claim that effectiveness has been demonstrated in the Parenting, Eating and Activity for Child Health (PEACH) childhood obesity intervention is unsubstantiated by the data.The British journal of nutrition · 2018Article
- Weight up? Changes in children's anthropometry from time of referral to baseline assessment for paediatric weight management.Paediatrics & child health · 2018Article
- Unaccounted for regression to the mean renders conclusion of article titled "Uric acid lowering in relation to HbA1c reductions with the SGLT2 inhibitor tofogliflozin" unsubstantiated.Diabetes, obesity & metabolism · 2018Article
- Regression to the mean, apparent data errors and biologically extraordinary results: letter regarding 'changes in telomere length 3-5 years after gastric bypass surgery'.International journal of obesity (2005) · 2018Article
- Subjective evaluation of psychosocial well-being in children and youths with overweight or obesity: the impact of multidisciplinary obesity treatment.Quality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation · 2017Article
- Common scientific and statistical errors in obesity research.Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.) · 2016Review
- Letter to the editor.Journal of women & agingArticle
Corrections and comments
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- Comment on
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
Abstract
Childhood obesity remains a substantial health concern for our population and thoughtful attempts to develop and evaluate the utility of programs to reduce childhood obesity levels are needed. Unfortunately, we believe the conclusion by Burke et al. that the HealthMPowers program produces positive change in body composition is incorrect because the results obtained are likely due to regression to the mean (RTM), a well-known threat to the validity of studies that is often overlooked. Using empirical data, we demonstrate that RTM is likely to be the cause for the changes reported. A more reasonable conclusion than the one of effectiveness the authors offered would be that the results did not support the effectiveness of the intervention. Public health officials, parents, school leaders, community leaders, and regulators need and deserve valid evidence free from spin on which they can base decisions.
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What OpenQuestion holds
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.