Interpreting the results of a meta-analysis involves understanding several key concepts:
1. Effect Size: Measures the magnitude of the effect. Common effect size metrics include the risk ratio (RR), odds ratio (OR), and mean difference (MD). 2. Confidence Intervals (CIs): Provide a range of values within which the true effect size is likely to lie. 3. P-Value: Indicates the statistical significance of the findings. 4. Heterogeneity Statistics: Metrics like I² and Q-statistic assess the degree of variability among the included studies.
