[Evaluation of the quality of Anales Españoles de Pediatría versus Medicina Clínica].

OBJECTIVES

To compare the scientific methodology and quality of articles published in Anales Españoles de Pediatría and Medicina Clínica.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A stratified and randomized selection of 40 original articles published in 2001 in Anales Españoles de Pediatría and Medicina Clínica was made. Methodological errors in the critical analysis of original articles (21 items), epidemiological design, sample size, statistical complexity and levels of scientific evidence in both journals were compared using the chi-squared and/or Student's t-test.

RESULTS

No differences were found between Anales Españoles de Pediatría and Medicina Clínica in the critical evaluation of original articles (p > 0.2). In original articles published in Anales Españoles de Pediatría, the designs were of lower scientific evidence (a lower proportion of clinical trials, cohort and case-control studies) (17.5 vs 42.5 %, p 0.05), sample sizes were smaller (p 0.003) and there was less statistical complexity in the results section (p 0.03).

CONCLUSIONS

To improve the scientific quality of Anales Españoles de Pediatría, improved study designs, larger sample sizes and greater statistical complexity are required in its articles.