Spin assessment in acupuncture randomised controlled trials
| Spin | Abstract (n=476) | Main text (n=476) |
| Spin in the title | 78 (16.4) (13.3 to 20.0) | |
| Inconsistency with the protocol (without explanation) | 121 (25.4) (21.7 to 29.5) | |
| Any unreported dropouts or missing data | 31 (6.5) (4.6 to 9.1) | |
| Omitted of safety outcomes | 204 (42.9) (38.5 to 47.3) | |
| Results section | 188 (39.5) (35.2 to 44.0) | 112 (23.5) (19.9 to 27.5) |
| Focusing on statistically significant within-group comparison | 40 (8.4) (6.2 to 11.2) | 31 (6.5) (4.6 to 9.1) |
| Focusing on statistically significant secondary outcomes | 10 (2.1) (1.1 to 3.8) | 10 (2.1) (1.1 to 3.8) |
| Focusing on statistically significant subgroup analyses | 2 (0.4) (0.1 to 1.5) | 3 (0.6) (0.2 to 1.8) |
| Focusing on statistically significant modified population of analyses (eg, pre-protocol analyses) | 1 (0.2) (0.0 to 1.2) | 1 (0.2) (0.0 to 1.2) |
| Selectively emphasise of significant results or time points | 151 (31.7) (27.7 to 36.0) | 74 (15.6) (12.5 to 19.1) |
| Discussion section | / | 163 (34.2) (30.1 to 38.6) |
| Selectively emphasise of significant results or time points | / | 95 (19.9) (16.6 to 23.8) |
| Modified non-significant results as equivalence effectiveness | / | 9 (1.9) (1.0 to 3.6) |
| Modified non-significant results as comparable effectiveness | / | 25 (5.3) (3.6 to 7.6) |
| Modified non-significant results claim the beneficial effect | / | 14 (2.9) (1.8 to 4.9) |
| Consider only statistical significance not clinical significance | / | 10 (2.1) (1.1 to 3.8) |
| Recommendation of study results to other populations | / | 1 (0.2) (0.0 to 1.2) |
| Use hyperbole to describe the conclusion | / | 46 (9.7) (7.3 to 12.7) |
| Conclusion section | 184 (39.7) (34.4 to 43.1) | 133 (27.9) (24.1 to 32.1) |
| Selectively emphasise of significant results or time points | 138 (29.0) (25.1 to 33.2) | 84 (17.6) (14.5 to 21.3) |
| Modified non-significant results as equivalence effectiveness | 12 (2.5) (1.5 to 4.4) | 7 (1.5) (0.7 to 3.0) |
| Modified non-significant results as comparable effectiveness | 21 (4.4) (2.9 to 6.7) | 13 (2.7) (1.6 to 4.6) |
| Modified non-significant results claim the beneficial effect | 12 (2.5) (1.5 to 4.4) | 15 (3.2) (1.9 to 5.1) |
| Consider only statistical significance not clinical significance | 12 (2.5) (1.5 to 4.4) | 4 (0.8) (0.3 to 2.1) |
| Recommendation of study results to other populations | 0 | 1 (0.2) (0.0 to 1.2) |
| Use hyperbole to describe the conclusion | 39 (7.6) (5.4 to 10.5) | 6 (1.3) (0.6 to 2.7) |
| others | 3 (0.6) (0.2 to 1.8) | 29 (6.1) (4.2 to 8.6) |
| Low level of spin | 28 (5.9) (4.1 to 8.4) | |
| Moderate level of spin | 23 (4.8) (3.2 to 7.4) | |
| High level of spin | 6 (1.3) (0.6 to 2.7) | |
Note: ‘/’ means not applicable.