The reporting of equity-relevant sociodemographics in the Canadian ophthalmology literature.

Abstract

Objective: To determine the quality and extent of sociodemographic reporting in the contemporary Canadian ophthalmology literature.

Study design: Cross-sectional study.

Methods: All full-length primary studies involving human participants published in the Canadian Journal of Ophthalmology from January 2020 to December 2022 were included.

Results: A total of 669 studies were screened, and 213 studies were eligible for inclusion. Sociodemographic information reported in eligible studies included age (97.18%), sex (88.26%), comorbidities (25.35%), level of education (5.16%), socioeconomic status (2.82%), and occupation (1.14%). Of the relevant studies, 54 (25.35%) included racial or ethnic data. Canadian studies were 1.84 times less likely than studies conducted outside Canada to report race or ethnicity (p = 0.018), but 13 times more likely to report level of education (p < 0.001). Few articles provided information on how racial or ethnic data were collected (12.96%), why the racial or ethnic classification reported in the study was used (5.56%), why race or ethnicity was assessed in the study (24.07%), whether the classification options used were defined by the investigator or the participant (5.56%) or defined the variable race (1.85%). Some studies reported Indigenous participants (18.52%), and no studies with Indigenous participants reported engagement with Indigenous interest holders in the research process.

Conclusions: Most studies reported age and sex or gender, while the reporting of other equity-relevant sociodemographic data was low. In particular, the reporting of racial or ethnic data was limited. Improved sociodemographic reporting may help stakeholders better identify and address national disparities in ocular health.