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Table 5 Multivariable linear regression of difference between ITT lower CI and PP lower CI on study characteristics and risk for bias

From: Intention-to-treat analysis may be more conservative than per protocol analysis in antibiotic non-inferiority trials: a systematic review

Predictors

Co-efficient (95% CI)

P-value

PP exclusion based on concomitant therapy

−0.81 (− 1.93 to 0.31)

0.1558

Low risk for allocation concealment bias

−0.74 (− 1.82 to 0.35)

0.1810

Low risk for performance bias

−1.35 (− 2.94 to 0.24)

0.0960

Low risk for detection bias

0.70 (−0.97 to 2.37)

0.4076

Proportion of treatment arm in the ITT population that was included in the PP population per every 10%

2.89 (2.13 to 3.65)

< 0.0001

Proportion of control arm in the ITT population that was included in the PP population per every 10%

−2.73 (−3.37 to − 2.09)

< 0.0001

  1. The dependent variable in the model is ITT lower CI limit minus PP lower CI limit. Therefore, a negative co-efficient is associated with a smaller ITT lower CI limit, so the ITT analysis is more conservative than PP analysis. Conversely, a positive co-efficient is associated with a smaller PP lower CI limit, so the PP analysis is more conservative than the ITT analysis
  2. CI Confidence interval, ITT Intention-to-treat, PP Per-protocol