Frequency of Reporting and the Quality of Randomized Controlled Trials Published in the Nigerian Journal of Ophthalmology

Abstract

Aim: To determine the frequency of reporting and the methodological quality of randomized controlled trials in the Nigerian Journal of Ophthalmology (NJO) from 1993 – 2001.
Materials and methods: Back issues of NJO published from 1993 to 2001 were searched for reports of randomized controlled trials. The quality of identified trials was assessed using standard Cochrane methods.
Results: One out of 104 articles published in the 9 volumes of NJO from 1993 – 2001 can be described as a randomized controlled trial. Complete information regarding the method of allocation concealment, masking of providers and recipients of care, and masking of outcome assessors was not provided. It was not clear whether all patients were followed-up for 6
months or 1 year, or whether there was a differential loss to follow-up between the study groups.
Conclusions: Only one randomized controlled trial was published in the Nigerian Journal of Ophthalmology between 1993-2001. Assessment of the methodological quality of the reported trial was hampered by lack of complete information on parameters used to assess trial quality in this study.

Key words: clinical trials, reporting, methodological quality, Nigerian Journal of Ophthalmology