Work

More Than the Sum of Its Parts: Meta-Analysis and Its Potential to Discover Sources of Heterogeneity in Psychosomatic Medicine

Year: 2010

Type: article

Abstract: Meta-analyses may contribute to more reliable knowledge about the existence of certain relations in the area of psychosomatic research. Surprisingly, the increasing popularity of meta-analysis is not reflected in the number of meta-analyses of observational studies published in Psychosomatic Medicine. This may be due to the specific difficulties that apply to meta-analyses of observational research. The aim of this paper is to provide a nontechnical overview of the principles of meta-analysis applied to observational research. We will highlight general principles of meta-analysis and discuss the major threats to its validity, with an emphasis on its specific merits and pitfalls for psychosomatic research, using several examples. We conclude that meta-analysis is a relatively simple technique, leaving little reason for not routinely applying it when performing a systematic review. An adequately conducted meta-analysis may not only provide a summary estimate of a certain association, but it has additional value in discovering relevant confounders, mediators, and moderators, as well as identifying areas of research that require more attention.

Source: Psychosomatic Medicine

DOI: 10.1097/psy.0b013e3181d714e1

Authors: Lineke M. Tak, Anna Meijer, Andiappan Manoharan, Peter de Jonge, Judith G. M. Rosmalen

Institutions: University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, King's College London

Language: English

Topic: Meta-analysis and systematic reviews

Subfield: Statistics, Probability and Uncertainty

Field: Decision Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: green

Funder: Medical Research Council