ABSTRACT

Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess the methodological quality of meta-analyses published in the Korean Journal of Occupational Therapy (KJOT) and provide guidelines for future meta-analysis research. Methods: Among the papers published in the KJOT from the first issue until 2019, meta-analyses were searched and seven papers were selected. The methodological quality of the papers were analyzed according to the criteria of the AMSTAR evaluation tool. Results: The overall methodological quality average score of the meta-analyses was 6.71 (SD = 0.70), which is a moderate level. Analytical papers were all at a moderate level (100%), and there were no high or low level studies. All of the studies faithfully implemented 7 out of 11 items of AMSTAR. However, it was found that four items (use of grey literature, presentation of included and excluded study lists, use of the quality of the individual studies in formulating conclusions, and conflicts of interest) were rarely commonly conducted in all studies. Conclusion: Meta-analyses in the Korean occupational therapy field were found to faithfully apply the methodological analysis process at above a moderate level. However, it is necessary to continue efforts to improve the quality of meta-analyses by using the grey literature, reflecting the results of a quality evaluation of individual studies in the conclusions and describing conflicts of interest.