Table 4.
Univariate metaregression analysis for the potential variables between studies.
| Covariates | Coefficient | Standard error | t | P | 95% confidence interval | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ESCC | ||||||
| Year | -0.034 | 0.022 | -1.56 | 0.135 | -0.080 | 0.011 |
| Ethnicity | ||||||
| Caucasians | 0.855 | 0.977 | 0.88 | 0.394 | -1.206 | 2.917 |
| Mongolians | 0.961 | 0.982 | 0.98 | 0.341 | -1.111 | 3.033 |
| Australian | 1.247 | 1.114 | 1.12 | 0.279 | -1.103 | 3.598 |
| Study area | ||||||
| North America | 0.434 | 0.577 | 0.75 | 0.462 | -0.788 | 1.656 |
| Europe | -0.370 | 0.490 | -0.76 | 0.461 | -1.408 | 0.669 |
| East Asia | -0.304 | 0.477 | -0.64 | 0.533 | -1.315 | 0.707 |
| Middle East | -1.254 | 0.559 | -2.24 | 0.039∗ | -2.439 | -0.692 |
| Study type | 0.379 | 0.564 | 0.67 | 0.510 | -0.803 | 1.560 |
| Study object | 0.356 | 0.284 | 1.25 | 0.226 | -0.239 | 0.950 |
| Matching | 0.024 | 0.447 | 0.05 | 0.959 | -0.911 | 0.959 |
| Detection method | ||||||
| S | 0.785 | 0.508 | 1.55 | 0.139 | -0.281 | 1.852 |
| S, H, U | 1.251 | 0.600 | 2.08 | 0.052 | -0.010 | 2.512 |
| EAC | ||||||
| Year | -0.040 | 0.016 | -2.50 | 0.022∗ | -0.073 | -0.006 |
| Ethnicity | ||||||
| Caucasians | 0.729 | 0.249 | 2.93 | 0.009∗ | 0.204 | 1.254 |
| Australian | 0.581 | 0.370 | 1.57 | 0.135 | -0.199 | 1.362 |
| Study area | ||||||
| North America | 0.163 | 0.442 | 0.37 | 0.717 | -0.774 | 1.100 |
| Europe | -0.866 | 0.459 | -0.19 | 0.853 | -1.059 | 0.885 |
| Middle East | -0.485 | 0.808 | -0.60 | 0.557 | -2.199 | 1.228 |
| Study type | 0.883 | 0.735 | 1.20 | 0.245 | -0.661 | 2.426 |
| Study object | -0.142 | 0.212 | -0.67 | 0.512 | -0.587 | 0.304 |
| Matching | 0.404 | 0.212 | 1.90 | 0.073 | -0.421 | 0.849 |
| Detection method | ||||||
| S | -0.278 | 0.560 | -0.50 | 0.626 | -1.461 | 0.903 |
| H | -0.757 | 0.577 | -1.31 | 0.207 | -1.974 | 0.460 |
Note: ESCC: esophageal squamous cell carcinoma; EAC: esophageal adenocarcinoma; S: serology; H: histology; U: rapid urease test. ∗the difference was statistically significant.