Hi,
I conducted a meta-analysis including two RCTs using random effects model (DerSimonian-Laird) using Stata 16.
The summary relative risk came as 4.35 with 95% Confidence intervals of 0.26 and 75.10 and p value was 0.307, which indicated that the results were statistically significant.
Using the same data, when I repeated the meta-analysis using risk difference (instead of relative risk) as a measure of summary effect size, the results became statistically significant: RD: 0.443, 95% CI: 0.053 and 0.833; p value 0.026.
In effect, depending on the type of summary estimate, the results from the same data are becoming either statistically significant or insignificant.
I would appreciate if someone would explain the reason behind these diverging results. I would also be grateful for advice as to which one should be used to present the results of this meta-analysis. I am enclosing stata dataset used for this meta-analysis.
Regards