The stated conclusions are contradicted by the data, based on inappropriate statistics, and should be corrected: comment on 'intervention for childhood obesity based on parents only or parents and child compared with follow-up alone'

摘要

Yackobovitch-Gavan et al. (1) executed a three-arm parallel randomized controlled trial (RCT). Participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups: a control group or one of two behavioural interventions, towards either both parents and children or parents only. The 'primary outcome measures were the change in BMI-SDS [BMI-standard deviation score] from baseline at completion of the intervention (3 months) and at the end of follow-up (24 months) in each of the groups'. In parallel RCTs, the correct analyses for inferences about treatment effects compare outcomes among randomized groups (2-5).