五种中华医学会系列杂志论著中统计方法的应用现况

目的了解在５种中华医学会系列杂志发表的论著中统计方法使用率、存在的问题以及近十年来的进展。方法系统分析了１９９５年和１９８５年发表在以临床科研为主的５种医学期刊中的９５４篇和６４０篇论著。结果１９９５年发表的论著较１９８５年有显著进步,文章中统计分析的使用率从４０％上升到６０％（χ２＝６０．９,Ｐ＜０．００１）;使用了更多较复杂的统计分析方法;正确应用统计方法的比例从２２％上升到４６％（χ２＝４５．３,Ｐ＜０．００１）。在２年中ｔ检验和联列表分析均为最常用的统计分析方法。最常见的问题是文章中仅有Ｐ值而所用统计方法不明、用ｔ检验代替方差分析进行多组间的比较。结论我国医学论著中使用统计分析方法的比例较１０年前明显提高,１９９５年统计方法应用率与国外期刊类似,但在统计分析的应用中存在不少问题有待进一步改进。

Current use of statistical methods in five core Chinese medical journals

OBJECTIVE: To determine the frequency of statistical techniques used in Chinese medical journals, types of statistical errors present, and trends over a 10-year period. METHODS: We reviewed the statistical methods used in all original articles published in 5 leading journals in 1985 (n = 640) and 1995 (n = 954). RESULTS: Compared with 1985, significant improvement was seen in 1995. The proportion of papers using statistical tests increased from 40% to 60% (chi 2 = 60.9, P < 0.01), and more sophisticated statistical methods were used. Of those articles using statistics, the proportion using appropriate methods increased from 22% to 46% (chi 2 = 45.3, P < 0.01). In both years, the most commonly used statistical methods were t tests and contingency tables. The most common errors were presentation of P values without specifying the test used, use of multiple t tests instead of ANOVAs, and use of unpaired t tests when paired tests were required. CONCLUSION: The use of statistical methods in Chinese medical journals is improving, and by 1995, the frequency of using statistical methods in published articles was similar to that in other journals around the world. However, the lack of or inappropriate sue of statistics remains a serious problem.