Publication Bias in Abstracts Presented at the American Diabetes Association Scientific Sessions: A Retrospective Cohort Study
- 1Universidad Cientifica del Sur
Abstract
ObjectiveTo determine the publication rate of abstracts presented at the American Diabetes Association Scientific Sessions and to evaluate the association between statistical significance of study results and subsequent publication.
Research Design and MethodsWe conducted a retrospective cohort study of abstracts presented at the 2018 American Diabetes Association Scientific Sessions. The primary exposure was study result category (statistically significant vs. non-statistically significant findings), and the primary outcome was publication in an indexed journal within 5 years after conference presentation. Publication status was determined through PubMed/MEDLINE and Scopus searches. Adjusted relative risks (RRs) and 95% CIs were estimated using generalized linear models with Poisson distribution and robust variance.
ResultsAmong 541 included abstracts, 321 (59.3%) were subsequently published in indexed journals. Abstracts reporting statistically significant findings had a higher publication rate than those reporting non-statistically significant findings (61.9% vs. 42.3%; p=0.002). In the adjusted analysis, abstracts with non-statistically significant findings had a lower likelihood of publication compared with those reporting statistically significant findings (adjusted RR 0.71 [95% CI 0.54-0.93]; p=0.012).
ConclusionsApproximately four in ten abstracts presented at the ADA Scientific Sessions were not published within 5 years. Abstracts reporting non-statistically significant findings had a lower likelihood of subsequent publication, suggesting persistent publication bias in diabetology research. Future initiatives promoting the interpretation of effect estimates, confidence intervals and clinical relevance, rather than statistical significance alone, may help reduce selective dissemination of evidence
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BibTeX
@misc{pinedotorres2026publication,
title = {{Publication Bias in Abstracts Presented at the American Diabetes Association Scientific Sessions: A Retrospective Cohort Study}},
author = {I. Pinedo-Torres and A. Taype-Rondan and A. A. Vera-Luza and P. A. Zegarra-Lizana and J. L. Rojas-Vilca and M. Yovera-Aldana},
howpublished = {medRxiv},
year = {2026},
month = aug,
doi = {10.64898/2026.08.26.26361486},
url = {https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.08.26.26361486v1},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Publication Bias in Abstracts Presented at the American Diabetes Association Scientific Sessions: A Retrospective Cohort Study
AU - I. Pinedo-Torres
AU - A. Taype-Rondan
AU - A. A. Vera-Luza
AU - P. A. Zegarra-Lizana
AU - J. L. Rojas-Vilca
AU - M. Yovera-Aldana
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/08/26
PB - medRxiv
DO - 10.64898/2026.08.26.26361486
UR - https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.08.26.26361486v1
AB - ObjectiveTo determine the publication rate of abstracts presented at the American Diabetes Association Scientific Sessions and to evaluate the association between statistical significance of study results and subsequent publication. Research Design and MethodsWe conducted a retrospective cohort study of abstracts presented at the 2018 American Diabetes Association Scientific Sessions. The primary exposure was study result category (statistically significant vs. non-statistically significant findings), and the primary outcome was publication in an indexed journal within 5 years after conference presentation. Publication status was determined through PubMed/MEDLINE and Scopus searches. Adjusted relative risks (RRs) and 95% CIs were estimated using generalized linear models with Poisson distribution and robust variance. ResultsAmong 541 included abstracts, 321 (59.3%) were subsequently published in indexed journals. Abstracts reporting statistically significant findings had a higher publication rate than those reporting non-statistically significant findings (61.9% vs. 42.3%; p=0.002). In the adjusted analysis, abstracts with non-statistically significant findings had a lower likelihood of publication compared with those reporting statistically significant findings (adjusted RR 0.71 [95% CI 0.54-0.93]; p=0.012). ConclusionsApproximately four in ten abstracts presented at the ADA Scientific Sessions were not published within 5 years. Abstracts reporting non-statistically significant findings had a lower likelihood of subsequent publication, suggesting persistent publication bias in diabetology research. Future initiatives promoting the interpretation of effect estimates, confidence intervals and clinical relevance, rather than statistical significance alone, may help reduce selective dissemination of evidence
ER -