Ensuring adequate power: the importance of statistically significant results in osteopathic research
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Amanda DiSabato
To the Editor,
In “Effect of visceral manipulation on menstrual complaints in women with polycystic ovarian syndrome,” Yosri et al. [1] found that visceral manipulation with a low-calorie diet improved menstrual pain, menstrual irregularities, and premenstrual symptoms compared to a low-calorie diet alone. However, the authors did not perform an a priori power analysis to inform their sample size. With a sample size of only 30 patients, the internal validity of this study is questionable. The internal validity of a randomized trial depends largely on an appropriate sample size, which must be determined with an a priori sample size calculation to ensure adequate power [2]. The authors stated that they utilized a convenience sample, which is presumably why they did not include an a priori analysis. A convenience sample can be appropriate in the early stages of hypothesis generation; an encouraging result from a convenience sample can then prompt further study to more definitively answer the research question. The use of a convenience sample, however, only permits a study’s results to be described as preliminary and as a call to further research. Yosri et al. [1] did not acknowledge their use of a convenience sample in their limitations and presented their data as providing a definitive answer to this research question. Without an a priori power analysis, it is impossible to know whether this study was adequately powered to identify a meaningful result. Historically, many people have dismissed osteopathic literature as not evidence-based [3]. This dismissal has resulted in osteopathic practices and principles being undervalued by osteopaths and non-osteopaths alike. Within this context, it is of vital importance to ensure that osteopathic research include methodologic rigor that is as pristine as possible.
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Research funding: None reported.
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Author contributions: The author has accepted responsibility for the content of this manuscript and approved its submission.
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Competing interests: None reported.
References
1. Yosri, MM, Hamada, HA, Yousef, AM. Effect of visceral manipulation on menstrual complaints in women with polycystic ovarian syndrome. J Osteopath Med 2022;122:411–22. https://doi.org/10.1515/jom-2021-0255.Suche in Google Scholar PubMed
2. Kang, H. Sample size determination and power analysis using the G*Power software. J Educ Eval Health Prof 2021;18:17. https://doi.org/10.3352/jeehp.2021.18.17.Suche in Google Scholar PubMed PubMed Central
3. Steel, A, Sundberg, T, Reid, R, Ward, L, Bishop, FL, Leach, M, et al.. Osteopathic manipulative treatment: a systematic review and critical appraisal of comparative effectiveness and health economics research. Musculoskelet Sci Pract 2017;27:165–75. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.math.2016.10.067. 27852531.Suche in Google Scholar PubMed
© 2023 the author(s), published by De Gruyter, Berlin/Boston
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
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- Frontmatter
- Cardiopulmonary Medicine
- Original Article
- Effects of the Strong Hearts program after a major cardiovascular event in patients with cardiovascular disease
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- Learning abnormal physical examination signs: an introductory course
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- Evaluating the underreporting of patient-reported outcomes in carpal tunnel syndrome randomized controlled trials
- Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine (OMT)
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- Public Health and Primary Care
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- Trends of colorectal cancer screening methods: an analysis of Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data from 2018–2020
- Clinical Image
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- Letters to the Editor
- The first step to strengthening graduate level osteopathic education: a national review
- Ensuring adequate power: the importance of statistically significant results in osteopathic research
