STATISTICAL-METHODS IN REHABILITATION LITERATURE - A SURVEY OF RECENTPUBLICATIONS

Objective: To document the use of statistical methods in the recent re habilitation research literature. Design: Descriptive survey study. Me thods: All 1,039 articles published between January 1990 and December 1993 in the American Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation a nd the Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation were reviewed for the use of statistical methods. Results: There were 682 (66%) rese arch articles in the sample that included systematic data collection a nd analysis. The most frequently encountered analytic tests and techni ques included: (1) analysis of variance, (2) t tests, (3) correlation analysis, (4) contingency table analysis, (5) regression, and (6) nonp arametric tests. Results were compared with results of a review of the 1982 rehabilitation Literature by Wainapel and Kayne. Our study showe d an increased sophistication in statistical methodology as well as a more intense use of such methods. In addition, there was a large numbe r of relatively obscure and poorly documented tests encountered in the more recent literature. There was also a lack of adherence to a stand ardized format for describing statistical methods. Conclusions: The fo llowing recommendations are made: (1) Training curricula for rehabilit ation professionals should provide instruction in the most commonly-en countered statistical methods and should be revised as needed to refle ct changes in statistical method usage. (2) When less common statistic al tests are applied, the responsibility of the authors to fully descr ibe and justify their methods should be recognized. (3) Critical asses sment of the literature is facilitated when statistical methods are re ported in a standardized format. (C) 1996 by the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine and the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation