Evaluation of the quality of studies in meta-analysis of intervention effectiveness in Spanish psychology journals

In this paper, we reviewed primary study quality assessments in meta-analyses published in the main Spanish psychology journals. Specifically, we analyzed whether the coding and evaluation of the quality of the primary studies in meta-analysis based on the efficacy of interventions is a common practice. The purpose of this evaluation is also to report the relationship between quality and the reported results (effect sizes). It is found that 79% of the meta-analyses analyzed included a quality assessment. The relationship between the lowest quality of studies included in meta-analyses and larger effect sizes is also discussed. Finally, we stress the need to improve the reporting of meta-analyses including high-quality evidence.