Racial and ethnic distribution of US randomized controlled trials in obstetrics: a retrospective review
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Yuzuru Anzai
,
Noel Cercizi
Abstract
Objectives
To determine the racial and ethnic compositions of the participants in obstetric randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and compare them to the US general population.
Methods
RCTs published in two premier US journals, American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Obstetrics and Gynecology from January 2010 to April 2020 were analyzed. The racial and ethnic distributions of the study participants were extracted and expressed as percentages for each article. Obstetrics articles were selected and then further divided into subcategories. Statistical analyses were performed on racial and ethnicity representation in each subcategory compared to a US population norm.
Results
Overall, a wide variation of racial and ethnic distribution was noted among studies. However, statistically significant overrepresentation of Non-Hispanic Black population and underrepresentation of White and Asian races were noted while Hispanic population’s representation was comparable to the US general population. This observation was persistent across most of the subcategories.
Conclusions
RCTs in the field of Obstetrics showed an overrepresentation of Black population. This observation was unique when we consider the previous reports in other fields of medicine. These findings should be taken into consideration when interpreting the results of RCTs conducted in US.
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Research funding: None declared.
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Author contributions: All authors have accepted responsibility for the entire content of this manuscript and approved its submission.
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Competing interests: Authors state no conflict of interest.
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Informed consent: Not applicable.
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Ethical approval: Not applicable.
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© 2022 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- WAPM Guideline
- Ultrasound in labor: clinical practice guideline and recommendation by the WAPM-World Association of Perinatal Medicine and the PMF-Perinatal Medicine Foundation
- Original Articles – Obstetrics
- Racial and ethnic distribution of US randomized controlled trials in obstetrics: a retrospective review
- Impact of earlier gestational diabetes screening for pregnant people with obesity on maternal and perinatal outcomes
- Variations in uterine closure technique: an institutional survey of obstetricians and implications for patient counseling and prevention of adverse sequelae
- Termination of pregnancy in the second trimester – the course of different therapy regimens
- Hyponatremia among preeclampsia patients – a potential sign of severity
- Effect of combined paracetamol and dexamethasone vs. paracetamol on postoperative nausea vomiting after cesarean section
- Lidocaine vs. tramadol vs. placebo wound infiltration for post-cesarean section pain relief: a randomized controlled trial
- Does the use of chitosan covered gauze for postpartum hemorrhage reduce the need for surgical therapy including hysterectomy? A databased historical cohort study
- The effect of advanced maternal age on perinatal outcomes in nulliparous pregnancies
- Evaluating the correlation between amniotic fluid volume and estimated fetal weight in healthy pregnant women
- Metabolic characterization of amniotic fluid of fetuses with isolated choroid plexus cyst
- Does a cervical pessary reduce the rate of preterm birth in women with a short cervix?
- Research progress on N6-methyladenosine in the human placenta
- Why are women deciding against birth in alongside midwifery units? A prospective single-center study from Germany
- Pregnancy hypothyroidism incidence and complications using the 2011 and 2017 ATA cutoff values. Experience at a maternity hospital in a densely populated area in Mexico City
- Expression pattern and clinical significance of microRNA-let-7a and IFN-gamma in placental tissue of patients with preeclampsia with severe features
- Original Articles – Fetus
- Management of neonates with 35 weeks of gestational age or more with infectious risk factors at birth: opportunities for improvement
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- WAPM Guideline
- Ultrasound in labor: clinical practice guideline and recommendation by the WAPM-World Association of Perinatal Medicine and the PMF-Perinatal Medicine Foundation
- Original Articles – Obstetrics
- Racial and ethnic distribution of US randomized controlled trials in obstetrics: a retrospective review
- Impact of earlier gestational diabetes screening for pregnant people with obesity on maternal and perinatal outcomes
- Variations in uterine closure technique: an institutional survey of obstetricians and implications for patient counseling and prevention of adverse sequelae
- Termination of pregnancy in the second trimester – the course of different therapy regimens
- Hyponatremia among preeclampsia patients – a potential sign of severity
- Effect of combined paracetamol and dexamethasone vs. paracetamol on postoperative nausea vomiting after cesarean section
- Lidocaine vs. tramadol vs. placebo wound infiltration for post-cesarean section pain relief: a randomized controlled trial
- Does the use of chitosan covered gauze for postpartum hemorrhage reduce the need for surgical therapy including hysterectomy? A databased historical cohort study
- The effect of advanced maternal age on perinatal outcomes in nulliparous pregnancies
- Evaluating the correlation between amniotic fluid volume and estimated fetal weight in healthy pregnant women
- Metabolic characterization of amniotic fluid of fetuses with isolated choroid plexus cyst
- Does a cervical pessary reduce the rate of preterm birth in women with a short cervix?
- Research progress on N6-methyladenosine in the human placenta
- Why are women deciding against birth in alongside midwifery units? A prospective single-center study from Germany
- Pregnancy hypothyroidism incidence and complications using the 2011 and 2017 ATA cutoff values. Experience at a maternity hospital in a densely populated area in Mexico City
- Expression pattern and clinical significance of microRNA-let-7a and IFN-gamma in placental tissue of patients with preeclampsia with severe features
- Original Articles – Fetus
- Management of neonates with 35 weeks of gestational age or more with infectious risk factors at birth: opportunities for improvement
