STROBE Statement
https://www.strobe-statement.org
STROBE stands for an international, collaborative initiative of epidemiologists, methodologists, statisticians, researchers and journal editors involved in the conduct and dissemination of observational studies, with the common aim of STrengthening the Reporting of OBservational studies in Epidemiology.
The STROBE Statement is being endorsed by a growing number of biomedical journals.
The STROBE statement (Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology) is a set of guidelines designed to improve the reporting of observational studies, such as cohort studies, case-control studies, and cross-sectional studies. It provides a checklist to ensure transparency, completeness, and clarity in the reporting of these studies, making it easier for readers to assess their validity and reliability.
Purpose of the STROBE Statement Enhance the quality of reporting in observational studies. Allow readers to critically evaluate the study's methodology, results, and applicability. Ensure that key elements of the study design, data collection, analysis, and interpretation are adequately described. Key Components of the STROBE Checklist The checklist includes 22 items grouped into the following sections:
Indicate the study design (e.g., retrospective cohort, case-control) clearly in the title or abstract.
2. Introduction
Background: Explain the scientific background and rationale for the study.
Objectives: Clearly state the specific objectives or hypotheses.
3. Methods Study Design: Describe the design in detail. Setting: Specify the locations, dates, and recruitment methods. Participants: Detail inclusion and exclusion criteria and how participants were selected. Variables: Define all variables, including exposures, outcomes, and confounders. Data Sources/Measurement: Explain data collection methods and sources. Bias: Discuss potential sources of bias and how they were addressed. Study Size: Explain how the study size was determined. Quantitative Variables: Describe how variables were handled and categorized. Statistical Methods: Provide detailed information on the statistical methods used, including adjustments for confounding and how missing data were handled. 4. Results Participants: Report the number of participants at each stage of the study and reasons for loss to follow-up. Descriptive Data: Provide characteristics of study participants and summary data for exposure and outcome variables. Outcome Data: Report main results, including measures of association and their precision. Other Analyses: Detail any additional analyses conducted (e.g., subgroup analyses). 5. Discussion Key Results: Summarize the main findings. Limitations: Discuss the limitations of the study, including potential sources of bias or imprecision. Interpretation: Relate findings to other evidence and discuss their generalizability. Implications: Highlight the clinical or public health relevance of the findings. 6. Funding Disclose all sources of funding and any potential conflicts of interest. Why Is the STROBE Statement Important? Improved Transparency: Ensures that researchers clearly describe how the study was conducted. Replication: Facilitates replication and comparison of findings by providing detailed methods and results. Critical Appraisal: Helps readers and reviewers assess the validity and reliability of the findings.