Abstract
Objectives: Lowering the threshold for statistical significance in medical research from a P value of .05 to .005 was recently proposed to reduce misinterpretation of study results. What effect this proposal would have on orthopaedic sports medicine literature is currently unclear.
Research Question/Hypothesis: We seek to determine how the newly proposed threshold could affect the interpretation of previously published sports medicine RCTs.
Methods: We searched PubMed from January 01, 2016 to December 31, 2017 for RCTs published in the American Journal of Sports Medicine, Arthroscopy, and Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy. We extracted P value data for primary endpoints, since RCTs are most often powered for these endpoints. We used Google Forms for data extraction and STATA 13.1 for the data analysis.
Results: Of the 159 studies, only 13 (8%) of the studies have endpoints in which all P values are below the new threshold of .005. 40 (25%) of the studies have endpoints in which some would meet the new P value threshold of .005, and some would not meet this new threshold. 106 (67%) of the studies have no endpoints in which the P value(s) was less than .005. Overall, 38% (59/157) of the previously statistically significant primary endpoints were less than .005, while 62% (98/157) would be reclassified as suggestive.
Conclusions: Of statistically significant endpoints in our sample, only 17% (59/350) would maintain their statistical significance with a P value threshold of less than .005, and only 8% of studies would maintain their overall significance with all P values falling below the new threshold.
Research Question/Hypothesis: We seek to determine how the newly proposed threshold could affect the interpretation of previously published sports medicine RCTs.
Methods: We searched PubMed from January 01, 2016 to December 31, 2017 for RCTs published in the American Journal of Sports Medicine, Arthroscopy, and Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy. We extracted P value data for primary endpoints, since RCTs are most often powered for these endpoints. We used Google Forms for data extraction and STATA 13.1 for the data analysis.
Results: Of the 159 studies, only 13 (8%) of the studies have endpoints in which all P values are below the new threshold of .005. 40 (25%) of the studies have endpoints in which some would meet the new P value threshold of .005, and some would not meet this new threshold. 106 (67%) of the studies have no endpoints in which the P value(s) was less than .005. Overall, 38% (59/157) of the previously statistically significant primary endpoints were less than .005, while 62% (98/157) would be reclassified as suggestive.
Conclusions: Of statistically significant endpoints in our sample, only 17% (59/350) would maintain their statistical significance with a P value threshold of less than .005, and only 8% of studies would maintain their overall significance with all P values falling below the new threshold.
| Original language | American English |
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| State | Published - 23 Aug 2020 |
| Event | Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences Research Day 2019 - Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences, TULSA, United States Duration: 21 Feb 2019 → 22 Feb 2019 https://openresearch.okstate.edu/handle/20.500.14446/323834 (Open Research Oklahoma - OSU Center for Health Sciences - Research Day 2019) |
Conference
| Conference | Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences Research Day 2019 |
|---|---|
| Abbreviated title | Research Day 2019 |
| Country/Territory | United States |
| City | TULSA |
| Period | 21/02/19 → 22/02/19 |
| Internet address |
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