Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37208492›Full record

ArticleCommunications medicine2023

Sex-disaggregated effectiveness data reporting in COVID-19 vaccine research: a systematic review.

Giorgia Sulis, Ji Yoon Kim, Valérie Rodrigue, Geneviève Gore, Alexandra Peebles, Angela K Ulrich, Miranda Horn, Nicole E Basta

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Communications medicine, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Review
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Giorgia SulisSchool of Epidemiology and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada. gsulis@uottawa.ca.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6641-0094
Ji Yoon KimDepartment of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health, School of Population and Global Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1589-3839
Valérie RodrigueDepartment of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health, School of Population and Global Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8756-3046
Geneviève GoreSchulich Library of Physical Sciences, Life Sciences, and Engineering, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
Alexandra PeeblesDepartment of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health, School of Population and Global Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
Angela K UlrichCenter for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
Miranda HornDepartment of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health, School of Population and Global Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
Nicole E BastaDepartment of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health, School of Population and Global Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.

Funding

Quantifying the Breadth and Duration of Immunity Induced by Meningococcal B VaccinesR01AI132496 · NIAID · UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA · PI BASTA, NICOLE ELAINE · 2018 to 2023
$3.1M
Canada Research Chairs (Chaires de recherche du Canada) Tier 2 CRCNIAID NIH HHS R01 AI132496
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundSex and gender are believed to influence vaccine response. Yet, the relationship between sex and gender and COVID-19 vaccine efficacy is poorly understood and remains under-investigated.

methodsWe conducted a systematic review to determine whether and to what extent post-approval COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness (VE) studies report sex-disaggregated VE data. We searched four publication and pre-publication databases and additional grey literature sources for relevant published/preprint studies released between 1 January 2020 and 1 October 2021 (i.e., pre-Omicron era). We included observational studies providing VE estimates for one or more licensed/approved COVID-19 vaccines and including both males and females. Two reviewers independently assessed study eligibility, extracted data, and assessed risk-of-bias through a modified version of Cochrane's ROBINS-I tool. A qualitative data synthesis was performed.

resultsHere we show that, among 240 eligible publications, 68 (28.3%) do not report the sex distribution among participants. Only 21/240 (8.8%) studies provide sex-disaggregated VE estimates, and high between-study heterogeneity regarding design, target population, outcomes, and vaccine type/timing prevent the assessment of sex in determining COVID-19 VE across studies.

conclusionsOur findings indicate that few COVID-19 vaccine research publications account for sex. Improved adherence to recommended reporting guidelines will ensure that the evidence generated can be used to better understand the relationship between sex and gender and VE.

Identifiers

PMID37208492
PMCPMC10196298

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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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.