Title |
Triple P-Positive Parenting programs: the folly of basing social policy on underpowered flawed studies
|
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Published in |
BMC Medicine, January 2013
|
DOI | 10.1186/1741-7015-11-11 |
Pubmed ID | |
Authors |
James C Coyne, Linda Kwakkenbos |
Abstract |
Wilson et al. provided a valuable systematic and meta-analytic review of the Triple P-Positive Parenting program in which they identified substantial problems in the quality of available evidence. Their review largely escaped unscathed after Sanders et al.'s critical commentary. However, both of these sources overlook the most serious problem with the Triple P literature, namely, the over-reliance on positive but substantially underpowered trials. Such trials are particularly susceptible to risks of bias and investigator manipulation of apparent results. We offer a justification for the criterion of no fewer than 35 participants in either the intervention or control group. Applying this criterion, 19 of the 23 trials identified by Wilson et al. were eliminated. A number of these trials were so small that it would be statistically improbable that they would detect an effect even if it were present. We argued that clinicians and policymakers implementing Triple P programs incorporate evaluations to ensure that goals are being met and resources are not being squandered.Please see related articles http://www.biomedcentral.com/1741-7015/10/130 and http://www.biomedcentral.com/1741-7015/10/145. |
X Demographics
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
United States | 17 | 17% |
United Kingdom | 16 | 16% |
Netherlands | 8 | 8% |
Canada | 2 | 2% |
Australia | 2 | 2% |
Chile | 2 | 2% |
Norway | 1 | <1% |
Mexico | 1 | <1% |
Spain | 1 | <1% |
Other | 4 | 4% |
Unknown | 47 | 47% |
Demographic breakdown
Type | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Members of the public | 78 | 77% |
Practitioners (doctors, other healthcare professionals) | 12 | 12% |
Scientists | 10 | 10% |
Science communicators (journalists, bloggers, editors) | 1 | <1% |
Mendeley readers
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Ireland | 1 | 1% |
Australia | 1 | 1% |
Unknown | 74 | 97% |
Demographic breakdown
Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Student > Master | 13 | 17% |
Researcher | 11 | 14% |
Student > Bachelor | 11 | 14% |
Student > Ph. D. Student | 7 | 9% |
Other | 6 | 8% |
Other | 16 | 21% |
Unknown | 12 | 16% |
Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Psychology | 29 | 38% |
Social Sciences | 13 | 17% |
Medicine and Dentistry | 10 | 13% |
Nursing and Health Professions | 3 | 4% |
Agricultural and Biological Sciences | 2 | 3% |
Other | 5 | 7% |
Unknown | 14 | 18% |