Abstract
Purpose :
It is unknown whether or not adequate equity reporting is occurring in systematic reviews and meta-analysis (SRMAs) regarding geographic atrophy (GA). While SRMAs are often the starting place for disease management and the pinnacle of the hierarchy of medical research, they also should provide guidelines that are culturally appropriate to promote equitable care. Thus our meta-epidemiological assessment addresses this knowledge gap by applying a PROGRESS-Plus analysis to determine whether accurate representation is taking place in the current literature.
Methods :
We conducted a systematic search of three databases for SRMAs concerning GA, and eligibility was determined by two researchers in a masked and duplicative fashion. A total of 176 articles returned, of which 119 were excluded due to duplication or not being related to GA. Data related to the inclusion of Place, Race/ethnicity, Occupation, Gender/sex, Religion, Education, Social capital, and Socioeconomic status (SES), and characteristics of the SRMAs was then extracted by two additional researchers. Any disagreements were reconciled via discussion.
Results :
Of the 57 studies, 26 (45.6%) did not include any PROGRESS-Plus items. The most common items included within the SRMAs were age, sex, and race/ethnicity. While only 31.3% (5/16) of SRMAs conducted in the US included equity items, 63.4% (26/41) of those conducted outside the US did (P=.028). Other study characteristics were not significantly associated with the inclusion of equity items. See Tables 1 and 2 for more information.
Conclusions :
Our study found that some PROGRESS-Plus items were consistently reported within SRMAs; however, other common items such as education as SES were lacking. As new initiatives by the American Academy of Ophthalmology are underway, aiming to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion within the specialty, equitable reporting within SRMAs is even more necessary to increase our understanding of epidemiological factors, as well as provide more comprehensive treatment guidelines for a variety of patients.
This abstract was presented at the 2024 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Seattle, WA, May 5-9, 2024.