title: Registration status and methodological reporting of randomized controlled trials in obesity research: A review.
abstract: To assess registration and reporting details of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published from 2011 to 2016 across four obesity journals.
  
  
  
  All issues from four leading obesity journals were searched systematically for RCTs from January 2011 to June 2016. Data on registration status were extracted from manuscripts, online trial registries, and a trial database; corresponding authors were contacted for registration details, when necessary. The methodological reporting of RCTs was assessed on specific criteria from the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials.
  
  
  
  A total of 223 RCTs were reviewed. Three-quarters (n = 170) were registered publicly; 94 (55.3%) reported registration details in the manuscript, and 82 (48.2%) were registered prospectively. Newer RCTs were more likely to be registered prospectively than older RCTs (2014-2016: 57.3% vs. 2011-2013: 39.2%; c2= 5.5, P = 0.02). Assessment on the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials demonstrated that less than half of all studies reported data collection dates (n = 108; 48.4%) or included "randomized trial" in the title (n = 89; 39.9%).
  
  
  
  The methodological reporting of RCTs published in obesity journals is suboptimal, despite current guidelines and policies. To complement existing standards, editorial boards should incorporate mandatory fields within the online manuscript submission process to enhance the quality, transparency, and comprehensiveness of reporting RCTs in obesity journals.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
authors.forename: Jillian L S
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Byrne
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.|Autism Research Centre, Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital, Alberta Health Services, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
authors.forename: Tamara
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yee
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
authors.forename: Kathleen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: O'Connor
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.|Alberta Research Centre for Health Evidence, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
authors.forename: Michele P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Dyson
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
authors.forename: Geoff D C
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Ball
mesh_terms: D035843:Biomedical Research / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003625:Data Collection; D006801:Humans; D009765:Obesity; D011642:Publications / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012042:Registries; D058028:Research Report / Q000639:trends*