Time to look beyond (and before) journal reporting requirements: a review of ethnicity reporting in UK clinical trial results publications in three high-impact journals
2024

Review of Ethnicity Reporting in UK Clinical Trials

Sample size: 68 publication Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Khanum Mahwar, Dawson Shoba, dos Santos Jhulia, Hajinur Huda, Conefrey Carmel, Paramasivan Sangeetha

Primary Institution: Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol

Hypothesis

What is the proportion of UK-based RCT results publications that report on participants’ ethnicity in high-impact medical journals?

Conclusion

More than half of the studies reviewed reported some ethnicity data, but many did not provide detailed breakdowns or use the data in their analyses.

Supporting Evidence

  • 56% of studies reported some ethnicity data.
  • 37% of studies that reported ethnicity data did not provide a detailed breakdown.
  • Only 29% of studies used ethnicity data in their analysis.

Takeaway

This study looked at how often UK clinical trials share information about the ethnic backgrounds of their participants, finding that many trials don't do this well.

Methodology

The review analyzed UK-based RCT publications from three high-impact journals to assess ethnicity reporting.

Potential Biases

Potential bias due to under-reporting of ethnicity data in clinical trials.

Limitations

The study only included publications from three journals and may not represent all UK RCTs.

Participant Demographics

UK-based RCTs, with a focus on ethnic minority representation.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1186/s13063-024-08596-7

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