. 2017 Nov 28;89(3):231–238. doi: 10.1136/jnnp-2017-316274

Table 2.

Meta-regression of the risk of all-cause dementia according to marital status, stratified by study time period, case ascertainment methodology, study type and study quality

		Widowed versus married		Divorced versus married		Lifelong single versus married
		Stratified analysis: Relative risk (95% CI) Number of studies	Meta-regression coefficient (95% CI) p value	Stratified analysis: Relative risk (95% CI) Number of studies	Meta-regression coefficient (95% CI) p-value	Stratified analysis: Relative risk (95% CI) Number of studies	Meta-regression coefficient (95% CI) p value
Method of case ascertainment	Clinical assessment	1.20 (1.02 to 1.41) n=9	b=−0.06 (−0.18 to 0.05) p=0.29	0.99 (0.71 to 1.37) n=7	b=0.34 (0.06 to 0.62) p=0.02	1.42 (1.07 to 1.90) n=6	b=−0.27 (−0.55 to 0.01) p=0.06
Method of case ascertainment	Clinical registers	1.12 (1.07 to 1.18) n=2	b=−0.06 (−0.18 to 0.05) p=0.29	1.11 (0.52 to 2.38) n=2	b=0.34 (0.06 to 0.62) p=0.02	1.23 (1.17 to 1.29) n=2	b=−0.27 (−0.55 to 0.01) p=0.06
Study type	Cohort	1.10 (1.05 to 1.28) n=7	b=0.28 (0.09 to 0.46) p=0.004	1.16 (0.87 to 1.55) n=6	b=−0.83 (−1.69 to 0.03) p=0.06	1.24 (1.17 to 1.30) n=5	b=0.08 (−0.45 to 0.62) p=0.76
Study type	Case–control/cross-sectional	1.39 (1.16 to 1.67) n=4	b=0.28 (0.09 to 0.46) p=0.004	0.55 (0.23 to 1.31) n=3	b=−0.83 (−1.69 to 0.03) p=0.06	1.21 (0.67 to 2.18) n=3	b=0.08 (−0.45 to 0.62) p=0.76
Global quality score	Higher quality ≥6	1.13 (1.02 to 1.31) n=4	b=0.08 (-0.06 to 0.23) p=0.27	1.16 (0.83 to 1.62) n=4	b=−0.40 (-0.88 to 0.08) p=0.10	1.26 (1.09 to 1.45) n=3	b=0.20 (-0.17 to 0.57) p=0.29
	Lower quality <6	1.22 (0.96 to 1.54) n=7	b=0.08 (-0.06 to 0.23) p=0.27	0.88 (0.54 to 1.44) n=5	b=−0.40 (-0.88 to 0.08) p=0.10	1.33 (0.92 to 1.92) n=5	b=0.20 (-0.17 to 0.57) p=0.29
	Increase in quality by one point	b=−0.04 (−0.08 to −0.002) p=0.04 n=11		b=0.12 (0.01 to 0.24) p=0.04 n=9		b=−0.05 (−0.13 to 0.03) p=0.21 n=8
Time period	Mean DoB before 1927	1.11 (0.93 to 1.31) n=6	b=0.15 (−0.14 to 0.43) p=0.32	0.98 (0.71 to 1.37) n=6	b=0.35 (0.08 to 0.63) p=0.01	1.40 (1.06 to 1.85) n=5	b=−0.22 (−0.50 to 0.06) p=0.13
	Mean DoB after 1927	1.23 (1.06 to 1.43) n=5	b=0.15 (−0.14 to 0.43) p=0.32	1.08 (0.50 to 2.35) n=3	b=0.35 (0.08 to 0.63) p=0.01	1.24 (0.94 to 1.62) n=3	b=−0.22 (−0.50 to 0.06) p=0.13
	Mean year of birth 10 years later	b=0.08 (−0.08 to 0.23) p=0.34 n=11		b=0.24 (0.01 to 0.47) p=0.04 n=9		b=−0.15 (−0.33 to 0.02) p=0.09 n=8

Figures are based on random-effects meta-analysis.

DoB, date of birth.