ArticleBMJ open2025
Prevalence, determinants and ethnic disparities of rheumatoid arthritis among older adults in Canada: protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Article in BMJ open, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionRheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterised by progressive joint inflammation, pain and functional decline, disproportionately affecting older adults. In Canada, evidence regarding the prevalence, determinants and ethnic disparities of RA among older populations remains fragmented. This protocol outlines a systematic review and meta-analysis designed to estimate the pooled prevalence of RA, identify its key determinants and examine ethnic disparities among Canadian adults aged 60 years and older. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: A comprehensive literature search will be undertaken across MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, Web of Science, Scopus, and relevant grey literature sources to identify studies published between January 2000 and October 2025, with the search scheduled to be conducted between 15 and 30 November 2025. Observational studies reporting RA prevalence or determinants in Canadian adults aged ≥60 years will be eligible. Two reviewers will independently perform study selection, data extraction and risk-of-bias assessment using the Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal tools. Data will be synthesised using a random-effects model (logit-transformed or binomial GLMM), with subgroup analyses by ethnicity, sex/gender and geographic region. Equity-related factors will be examined using the PROGRESS-Plus framework. The protocol has been reported in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols 2020 guidelines. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This study uses publicly available, published data and does not require ethics approval. The review will commence in November 2025 and is expected to conclude by April 2026. Findings will be shared through peer-reviewed journals, conferences and policy briefs, reaching clinicians, researchers and health policymakers. By presenting results to both academic and broader audiences, the review seeks to promote equitable, evidence-informed decision-making in rheumatology care across Canada.
Indexed as
Identifiers
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.