Available online 24 August 2022

To assess the reliability of the methodological quality and outcome measures of systematic reviews (SR)/meta-analysis of premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) treated with acupuncture.

SR/meta-analysis of POI treated with acupuncture were searched on POI from the databases including PubMed, Web of Science, EMBase, the Cochran Library, Chinese biomedical literature database (SinoMed), China journal full-text database (CNKI), Wanfang data knowledge service platform (Wanfang) and VIP information Chinese periodical service platform (VIP), from inception to 1st May 2021. Using A Measurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews 2 (AMSTAR 2) scale and Grades of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) system, the methodological quality and outcome measures of the included studies were appraised.

Ten articles of SR/meta-analysis were included, published from 2015 to 2020. Using AMSTAR 2, 5 articles of SR/meta-analysis were rated as critical low quality in methods, 3 articles as low quality, and 2 articles as moderate quality. The results of GRADE showed that among the 50 outcomes the quality of evidence of 22 outcomes was very low, that of 25 outcomes was low and that of 3 outcomes was moderate.

The methodological quality and the reliability of outcome measures were not high in existing SR/meta-analysis on POI treated with acupuncture, which may affect the translation of the SR/meta-analysis findings into clinical practice. It is necessary to further strengthen the methodological quality and reporting standard of SR/meta-analysis, as well as the robustness of design and implementation of randomized controlled trials(RCTs), in order to generate high quality evidences for clinical decision-making and practice.

Acupuncture

Premature ovarian insufficiency

Overview of systematic reviews

AMSTAR 2

GRADE system

© 2022 Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of World Journal of Acupuncture Moxibustion House.