Making inferences about the average treatment effect using the random effects model for meta-analysis is problematic in the common situation where there is a small number of studies. This is because estimates of the between-study variance are not precise enough to accurately apply the conventional methods for testing and deriving a confidence interval for the average effect. We have found that ...

obesity is one of the main public health problems which underlie many chronic illnesses and socioeconomic difficulties. according to the literature review, there are limited data on the prevalence of obesity in different parts of iran as well as its trend and prevalence among different age and gender groups. the aim of this study was to estimate the obesity prevalence in iran using meta-analysi...

In meta-analysis, between-study heterogeneity indicates the presence of effect-modifiers and has implications for the interpretation of results in cost-effectiveness analysis and decision making. A distinction is usually made between true variability in treatment effects due to variation in patient populations or settings and biases related to the way in which trials were conducted. Variability...

Background: The prevention and correction of vitamin D deficiency requires a precise depiction of the current situation and identification of risk factors in each region. The present study attempted to determine these entities using a systematic review and meta-analysis in Iran.Methods: Articles published online in Persian and English between 2000 and November 1, 2016, were reviewed. This was c...