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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Boston, Massachusetts » Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #364064
Title: Evaluating whole grain intervention study designs and reporting practices using evidence mapping methodology

Author
item SAWICKI, CALEIGH - Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging At Tufts University
item LIVINGSTON, KARA - Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging At Tufts University
item ROSS, ALASTAIR - Chalmers University Of Technology
item JACQUES, PAUL - Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging At Tufts University
item KOECHER, KATIE - The Bell Institute
item MCKEOWN, NICOLA - Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging At Tufts University

Submitted to: Nutrients
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/6/2018
Publication Date: 8/9/2018
Citation: Sawicki, C., Livingston, K.A., Ross, A.B., Jacques, P.F., Koecher, K., McKeown, N.M. 2018. Evaluating whole grain intervention study designs and reporting practices using evidence mapping methodology. Nutrients. 10(8). https://doi.org/10.3390/nu10081052.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/nu10081052

Interpretive Summary: Consumption of whole grains has been associated with reduced risk of chronic diseases in many observational studies; however, results of intervention studies have been mixed. In order to explore the variability in intervention study design characteristics and reporting practices that may be contributing to the inconsistency in results, we created an evidence map of published whole grain intervention studies. Evidence mapping is a method by which scientific evidence on an expansive or complex topic is identified, organized and summarized. We first conducted a reproducible, broad search for published whole grain human intervention studies. After screening based on a priori criteria, we identified 202 publications describing a total of 213 unique trials. We then extracted information of study design and reporting practices. We found several weaknesses in the evidence, including: few studies longer than 6 weeks, wide variation in the description of whole grains with few studies referencing published whole grain definitions, inconsistency in reporting the amount of whole grain consumed versus the amount of food/product consumed, a lack of specifying particular grain types, and little use of independent biomarkers of whole grain intake. This evidence map highlights the need to standardize both study protocols and reporting practices to support effective synthesis of study results and provide a stronger foundation to better inform nutrition scientists and public health policy.

Technical Abstract: Consumption of whole grains have been associated with reduced risk of chronic diseases in many observational studies; yet, results of intervention studies are mixed. We aimed to use evidence mapping to capture the methodological and reporting variability in whole grain intervention studies that may contribute to this inconsistency. We conducted a reproducible search in OVID Medline for whole grain human intervention studies (published 1946 to February 2018). After screening based on a priori criteria, we identified 202 publications describing a total of 213 unique trials. Over half (55%) were acute trials, lasting