Analysis of Taijiquan-related clinical trial registration characteristics and reporting quality / 国际中医中药杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To analyze the registration characteristics and reporting quality of Taijiquan-related clinical trials.Methods:A database search of the China Clinical Trials Registry (ChiCTR) and ClinicalTrials.gov was performed by computer to collect basic information, study content, interventions, and other registration information of Taijiquan-related clinical trials from inception to June 30, 2022. The WHO TRDS was used to evaluate the registration quality of clinical trials.Results:Totally 381 Taijiquan-related clinical trials were incorporated, of which 241 (63.25%) were prospective registration and 140 (36.75%) were retrospective registration. The quantity of Taijiquan-related clinical trial registrations generally showed an increasing trend, reaching a peak in 2020 (14.70%). The number of clinical trials registered in Shanghai accounted for the most (9.97%). The largest contributor to the registered trials was Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (4.46%). 55.12% of registered studies were funded by hospitals and universities. The registered studies were most focused on cognitive impairment. 74.54% of the studies adopted randomized parallel controls, and the sample size was mainly between 20 and 200 (80.31%), and the age of the subjects was concentrated above 39 years (53.28%). The average report completion rate of WHO TRDS items was 86.90%.Conclusions:Presently, the development trend of clinical trials related to Taijiquan is relatively promising. However, imbalances exist in some aspects, for instance distribution of registration areas and institutions, funding allocation, and population of subjects. The description of some registration items is missing or not comprehensive, so corresponding measures are required to improve the quality of clinical trial design and to optimize registration details.