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Table 1 General characteristics of the non-primary publication

From: Reporting characteristics of non-primary publications of results of randomized trials: a cross-sectional review

 

Total (n = 69)

Comparison as randomized (n = 42)

Comparison not as randomized (n = 27)

Journal type

 Specialty

56 (81%)

30 (71%)

26 (96%)

 General

13 (19%)

12 (29%)

1 (4%)

Funding source

Solely industry

14 (20%)

9 (21%)

5 (18.5%)

 Part industry

17 (25%)

12 (29%)

5 (18.5%)

 Non-industry

31 (45%)

18 (43%)

13 (48%)

 Unknown

7 (10%)

3 (7%)

4 (15%)

Trial registration

 Reported

30 (43%)

22 (52%)

8 (30%)

 Not reported

39 (57%)

20 (48%)

19 (70%)

Trial protocol

   

 Reported

27 (39%)

17 (40%)

10 (37%)

 Not reported

42 (61%)

25 (60%)

17 (63%)

Common disease specialties

 Cardiology

35 (51%)

16 (38%)

19 (70%)

 Infectious diseases

3 (4%)

2 (5%)

1 (4%)

 Rheumatology

3 (4%)

3 (7%)

0

 Neurology

2 (3%)

1 (2%)

1 (4%)

 Surgery

2 (3%)

1 (2%)

1 (4%)

Type of intervention

 Drug

35 (51%)

21 (50%)

14 (52%)

 Surgery/procedure

22 (32%)

16 (38%)

6 (22%)

 Counseling/lifestyle

11 (16%)

5 (12%)

6 (22%)

 Equipment

1 (1%)

0

1 (4%)

Study centers

 Single

1 (2%)

0

1 (4%)

 Multiple

56 (81%)

35 (83%)

21 (78%)

 Unclear

12 (17%)

7 (17%)

5 (18%)

Main focus of non-primary publication

 Subgroup analyses

27 (39%)

11 (26%)

16 (60%)

 Secondary outcomes

29 (42%)

19 (45%)

10 (37%)

 Extended follow-up

13 (19%)

12 (27%)

1 (4%)

Time period assessed

 Reported

39 (57%)

23 (55%)

16 (59%)

 Not reported

30 (43%)

19 (45%)

11 (41%)

Number of study groups in non-primary publication

 2

55 (80%)

33 (79%)

22 (82%)

 3

10 (14%)

8 (19%)

2 (7%)

 4

3 (4%)

1 (2%)

2 (7%)

 ≥5

1 (2%)

0

1 (4%)

Number of patients randomized in non-primary publication

 Median (IQR)

1,003 (347 to 2,699)

762 (256 to 2,659)

1,348 (660 to 2,928)

 Range

 

34 to 20,479

 
 

34 to 21,906

 

36 to 21,906

Non-primary publication analyzed all randomized participants

 Yes

28 (40%)

20 (48%)

8 (30%)

 No

33 (48%)

17 (40%)

16 (59%)

 Unclear

8 (12%)

5 (12%)

3 (11%)

Flow diagram reported

 Yes

17 (25%)

9 (21%)

8 (30%)

 No

52 (75%)

33 (79%)

19 (70%)

Identified as non-primary publication in the abstracta

 Yes

40 (59%)

23 (56%)

17 (63%)

 No

28 (41%)

18 (44%)

10 (37%)

  1. aIdentified as non-primary in the abstract: publication did not have an abstract (n = 1).