Analysis of variance is easily misapplied in the analysis of randomized trials: A critique and discussion of alternative statistical approaches
Analysis of variance is easily misapplied in the analysis of randomized trials: A critique and discussion of alternative statistical approaches
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DOI：
10.1097/01.psy.0000172624.52957.a8
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发表时间：
2005-07-01
影响因子：
3.3
通讯作者：
Vickers, AJ
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Vickers, AJ
方差分析（ANOVA）是一种统计方法，在心身文献中广泛用于分析随机试验的结果，但ANOVA不能提供组间差异的估计，而组间差异是随机试验的关键变量。虽然ANOVA的使用经常被证明是合理的，因为一个试验包含两个以上的组，但ANOVA对这些试验检验的假设是——“所有的组都是相等的吗？”——通常在科学上是无趣的。回归方法不仅适用于多组试验，而且可以设计用于解决研究设计中产生的特定问题。方差分析也经常用于重复测量的试验，但随之而来的“群体效应”、“时间效应”和“时间对群体的相互作用”的报告分散了临床和科学价值的统计。考虑到方差分析在随机试验分析中很容易被误用，应该优先考虑回归方法等替代方法。关键词：随机对照试验，方差分析，数据统计解释。
Analysis of variance (ANOVA) is a statistical method that is widely used in the psychosomatic literature to analyze the results of randomized trials, yet ANOVA does not provide an estimate for the difference between groups, the key variable of interest in a randomized trial. Although the use of ANOVA is frequently justified on the grounds that a trial incorporates more than two groups, the hypothesis tested by ANOVA for these trials- "Are all groups equivalent?" -is often scientifically uninteresting. Regression methods are not only applicable to trials with many groups, but can be designed to address specific questions arising from the study design. ANOVA is also frequently used for trials with repeated measures, but the consequent reporting of "group effects," "time effects," and "time-by-group interactions" is a distraction from statistics of clinical and scientific value. Given that ANOVA is easily misapplied in the analysis of randomized trials, alternative approaches such as regression methods should be considered in preference. Key words: randomized controlled trials, analysis of variance, statistical interpretation of data.