Skip to main content

Table 3 Author characteristics of abstracts of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) presented at the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) conferences during the years 2001–2004, overall and by whether or not the RCT described in the abstract was published

From: Dependability of results in conference abstracts of randomized controlled trials in ophthalmology and author financial conflicts of interest as a factor associated with full publication

Characteristics

All abstracts n (%**)

Abstracts of unpublished RCTs n (%**)

Abstracts of published RCTs n (%**)

Characteristics of first authors

Primary affiliation

N = 513

N = 283

N = 230

 

Not reported

8

(1.6)

7

(2.5)

1

(0.4)

 

Reported

505

(98.4)

276

(97.5)

229

(99.6)

 

 Academic

311

(61.6)

156

(56.5)

155

(67.7)

 

 Industry

31

(6.1)

18

(6.5)

13

(5.7)

 

 Hospital/Clinic

123

(24.4)

76

(27.5)

47

(20.5)

 

 Other

40

(7.9)

26

(9.4)

14

(6.1)

Conflicts of interest (COI) (years 2002–2004 only)

N = 400

N = 229

N = 171

 

Not reported

0

(0.0)

0

(0.0)

0

(0.0)

 

Reported

400

(100.0)

229

(100.0)

171

(100.0)

 

 At least one COI

132

(33.0)

65

(28.4)

67

(39.2)

 

  Financial support*

75

(18.8)

31

(13.5)

44

(25.7)

 

  Personal finance interest*

4

(1.0)

2

(0.9)

2

(1.2)

 

  Employee of business with interest*

17

(4.3)

13

(5.7)

4

(2.3)

 

  Consultant of business with interest*

43

(10.8)

23

(10.0)

20

(11.7)

 

  Inventor/developer with patent*

8

(2.0)

5

(2.2)

3

(1.8)

 

  Received gifts within the past year*

36

(9.0)

15

(6.6)

21

(12.3)

 

 No COI

268

(67.0)

164

(71.6)

104

(60.8)

Characteristics of last authors

Primary affiliation

N = 513

N = 283

N = 230

 

Not applicable (abstract had one author)

28

(5.5)

8

(2.8)

20

(8.7)

 

Not reported

8

(1.6)

7

(2.5)

1

(0.4)

 

Reported

477

(93.0)

268

(94.7)

209

(90.9)

 

 Academic

258

(54.1)

140

(52.2)

118

(56.5)

 

 Industry

85

(17.8)

39

(13.8)

46

(22.0)

 

 Hospital/Clinic

106

(22.2)

69

(25.8)

37

(17.7)

 

 Other

28

(5.9)

20

(7.1)

8

(3.8)

COI (years 2002-2004 only)

N = 400

N = 229

N = 171

 

Not applicable (abstract had one author)

21

(5.3)

8

(3.5)

13

(7.6)

 

Not reported

12

(3.0)

6

(2.6)

6

(3.5)

 

Reported

367

(91.7)

215

(93.9)

152

(88.9)

 

 At least one COI

103

(28.1)

56

(26.1)

39

(25.7)

 

  Financial support*

33

(9.0)

21

(9.8)

12

(7.9)

 

  Personal finance interest*

1

(0.3)

1

(0.5)

0

(0.0)

 

  Employee of business with interest*

51

(13.9)

28

(13.0)

23

(15.1)

 

  Consultant of business with interest*

18

(4.9)

8

(3.7)

10

(5.9)

 

  Inventor/developer with patent*

5

(1.4)

3

(1.4)

2

(1.2)

 

  Received gifts within the past year*

14

(3.8)

7

(3.3)

7

(4.6)

 

 No COI

264

(71.9)

159

(74.0)

113

(74.3)

COIs of any author

COI

 

N = 513

N = 283

N = 230

 

Not reported

0

(0.0)

0

(0.0)

0

(0.0)

 

Reported

513

(100.0)

283

(100.0)

230

(100.0)

 

 At least one COI

177

(34.5)

91

(32.2)

86

(37.4)

 

  Financial support*

99

(19.3)

49

(17.3)

50

(21.7)

 

  Personal finance interest*

6

(1.2)

4

(1.4)

2

(0.9)

 

  Employee of business with interest*

76

(14.8)

40

(14.1)

36

(15.7)

 

  Consultant of business with interest*

66

(12.9)

32

(11.3)

34

(14.8)

 

  Inventor/developer with patent*

13

(2.5)

8

(2.8)

5

(2.2)

 

  Received gifts within the past year*

55

(10.7)

23

(8.1)

32

(13.9)

 

 No COI

336

(65.5)

192

(68.9)

144

(62.6)

  1. * More than one option could apply to each abstract
  2. ** Percentages are column percentages. Percentages in shaded rows are calculated with n reported as the denominator