Meta-Analysis Research

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Meta-Analysis Research
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A quantitative analysis method, meta-analysis is
largely utilized to categorically evaluate
existing research work and arrive at feasible
conclusion with regards to the research
conducted. Meta analysis is undertaken in the
medical, social science, business, education,
ecology and other arena. In the medical arena,
results of a meta-analysis can be effectively
utilized to anticipate the outcome of a specific
treatment or to understand the underlying
implications of a disease. The advantage of
meta-analysis is relatively larger and involves a
combination of quantitative assessment pertaining
to largely intricate and challenging research
activities. ability to be integrated with various
other analytical tools.
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The characteristics of the outcome of a specific
research based on hypothesis that are extensively
assessed are vital to understand the implication
of meta-analysis. Also, lack of clarity in
recognizing the impact of existing research could
generate flawed results. Meta-analysis that has
been arduously executed emerges as a valuable
tool with regards to research based medicine.
What renders meta-analysis as a most sought after
method of quantitative analysis is its
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2018-2019 All Rights Reserved, No part of this
document should be modified/used without prior
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Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies Based on
the aims and the research design of this study,
meta-analysis was chosen as the method of choice
in answering the research question. Meta-analysis
is defined as a non-experimental quantitative
research method used to pool together data
obtained from two or more experimental or
observational studies which have similar or
related hypothesis (Bruce, Pope and Stanistreet,
2008 Anderson, 2010). As suggested by
Polit-O'Hara and Beck (2010), systematic reviews
were previously basically narrative until
recently when statistical methods are now used to
synthesise findings from multiple studies.
Meta-analysis is useful in enabling objective
conclusions to be made from a variety of findings
which are sometimes conflicting (Villari, La
Torre and Leyland, 2005) and it also increases
the probability that an observed association is
true, as sample size is increased and confidence
interval narrowed (Polit-OHara and Beck, 2010).
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However as with any research method,
meta-analysis that is not properly conducted
either due avoidable bias or inappropriate
combination of studies could be misleading
(Sutton, 2000). The choice of a meta-analysis as
the quantitative research method was informed by
availability of observational studies which when
pooled together make a larger sample size thus
increasing power and enabling generalisations
regarding the relationship between optimal and
non - optimal birth weights and the risk of type
2 diabetes. Other factors which influenced the
choice of a meta-analysis is that cohort studies
which make up most of research on birth weight
and the risk of disease in adulthood would
normally take a long time to conduct if it were
to be a primary research and this would not be
possible within the time frame available for this
study. Furthermore, the rising prevalence of type
2 diabetes (Chen, Magliano and Zimmet, 2012
Herman and Zimmet, 2012 Campbell, 2011) suggests
the urgent need for interventions based on
synthesis of already available evidence in this
regard.
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