Assessing the reporting quality of physical activity programs in randomized controlled trials for the management of juvenile idiopathic arthritis using three standardized assessment tools

Teresa-Rose Kattackal; Sabrina Cavallo; Lucie Brosseau; Aditi Sivakumar; Michael J Del Bel; Michelle Dorion; Erin Ueffing; Karine Toupin-April

doi:10.1186/s12969-020-00434-9

Assessing the reporting quality of physical activity programs in randomized controlled trials for the management of juvenile idiopathic arthritis using three standardized assessment tools

Pediatr Rheumatol Online J. 2020 May 24;18(1):41. doi: 10.1186/s12969-020-00434-9.

Authors

Teresa-Rose Kattackal¹, Sabrina Cavallo², Lucie Brosseau³, Aditi Sivakumar⁴, Michael J Del Bel³, Michelle Dorion³, Erin Ueffing⁴, Karine Toupin-April^{5

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Affiliations

¹ Faculty of Scienceskk, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
² School of Rehabilitation, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada.
³ School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
⁴ Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, room L1147, 401 Smyth Road, Ottawa, ON, K1H 8L1, Canada.
⁵ School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. ktoupin@cheo.on.ca.
⁶ Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, room L1147, 401 Smyth Road, Ottawa, ON, K1H 8L1, Canada. ktoupin@cheo.on.ca.
⁷ Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. ktoupin@cheo.on.ca.

Abstract

Background: The reporting quality of physical activity (PA) programs in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) for the management of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) remains unknown. This study aimed to assess and compare the reporting quality of PA programs in RCTs for the management of JIA using three difference standardized assessment tools, and to describe the elements that were similar and different between these tools.

Methods: A systematic search was conducted for moderate-to high-quality RCTs of PA programs in JIA, published up until January 2019. Two reviewers independently included 10 RCTs and scored the reporting quality of PA programs using the following tools: Consensus on Exercise Reporting Template (CERT) checklist, Consensus on Therapeutic Exercise Training (CONTENT) scale, and Template for Intervention Description and Replication (TIDieR) checklist.

Results: Results showed that reporting of PA programs in 10 moderate- to high-quality RCTs for JIA management remains incomplete. The average reporting quality (± standard deviation) for all RCTs combined was moderate for the three standardized assessment tools with 70.8 (±14.3)% for the TIDieR checklist, 53.2 (±20.2)% for the CERT checklist, and 70.0 (±18.9)% for the CONTENT scale. Despite some overlap, the three standardized assessment tools (TIDieR, CERT, CONTENT) included different elements resulting in different scores. All tools assess elements linked to PA programs (provider, location, timing, personalization and adherence), but the CERT checklist includes other essential elements (e.g., additional resources, motivational strategies, adverse events).

Conclusions: The lack of complete reporting of PA programs in RCTs for the management of JIA and the variation in scores and assessed elements among standardized assessment tools show the need to improve reporting. Using the most comprehensive standardized tool (i.e., the CERT) and providing accessible supplemental information on PA programs may improve the reporting quality of PA programs in RCTs and help reproduce PA programs in research and clinical practice.

Keywords: Juvenile idiopathic arthritis; Physical activity programs; Randomized controlled trials; Reporting quality.

MeSH terms

Arthritis, Juvenile / rehabilitation*
Exercise
Exercise Therapy*
Humans
Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic / standards*
Research Report / standards*