Assessment of the reporting quality of randomised controlled trials of massage

Xuan Zhang,Guihua Tian,Weifeng Xiong,Lin Zhang,Zhaoxiang Bian,Hongcai Shang,Xihong Wang,Chen Zhao,Jiangxia Miao,Xiaohan Zhou,Taixiang Wu

doi:10.1186/s13020-021-00475-6

Abstract

ObjectiveTo assess the reporting quality of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of massage, particularly whether necessary elements related to massage interventions were adequately reported.MethodsA total of 8 electronic databases were systematically searched for massage RCTs published in English and Chinese from the date of their inception to June 22, 2020. Quality assessment was performed using three instruments, namely the CONSORT (Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials) 2010 Checklist (37 items), the CONSORT Extension for NPT (Nonpharmacologic Treatments) 2017 checklist (18 items), and a self-designed massage-specific checklist (16 items) which included massage rationale, intervention and control group details. Descriptive statistics were additionally used to analyse the baseline characteristics of included trials.ResultsA total of 2,447 massage RCTs were identified, of which most (96.8%) were distributed in China. For the completeness of CONSORT, NPT Extension, and massage-specific checklists, the average reporting percentages were 50%, 10% and 45%, respectively. Of 68 assessed items in total (exclusion of 3 repeated items on intervention), 42 were poorly presented, including 18 CONSORT items, 15 NPT items, and 9 massage-specific items. Although the overall quality of reporting showed slightly improvement in articles published after 2010, the international (English) journals presented a higher score of the CONSORT and NPT items, while the Chinese journals were associated with the increased score of massage-specific items.ConclusionThe quality of reporting of published massage RCTs is variable and in need of improvement. Reporting guideline “CONSORT extension for massage” should be developed.

Highlights

The Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) Statement and its extension for nonpharmacological treatments (NPT) provide researchers with clear reporting checklists for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) [11, 12], no previous study has assessed whether massage-specific details are sufficiently reported in the current massage RCTs; nor has any study identified what key information affecting the quality of massage trials should be described in the reports
All 2,447 trials were distributed in 15 countries, of which China makes the greatest contribution to the number of massage RCTs
Chinese massage was identified as the most common style (Fig. 3)

Summary

Introduction

“reporting quality” is a general term that needs to be translated into specific criteria covering study rationale, trial design, measurements and analysis. For massage trials, details of the massage environment, patients’ posture, media used for massage, the locations, force, frequency, and duration of massage, manipulations and procedures, treatment provider background, etc., are critical for trial assessment and replication. The Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) Statement and its extension for nonpharmacological treatments (NPT) provide researchers with clear reporting checklists for RCTs [11, 12], no previous study has assessed whether massage-specific details are sufficiently reported in the current massage RCTs; nor has any study identified what key information affecting the quality of massage trials should be described in the reports

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion