Ambiguity in Statistical Analysis Methods and Nonconformity with Prespecified Commitment to Data Sharing. Re: “Impact of Sit-To-Stand and Treadmill Desks on Patterns of Daily Waking Physical Behaviors Among Overweight and Obese Seated Office Workers: Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial” (Preprint)

Abstract

In this correspondence, we raise critical issues regarding the article by Arguello et al. (doi:10.2196/43018). In the article by Arguello et al., there is ambiguity regarding whether clustering (potential non-independence of observations within the same office space) and nesting (due to the hierarchical structure of the data) have been accounted for during the statistical analyses. In addition, the data underlying the published results are not available to other researchers, which is contrary to the journal’s policy. The concerns raised herein regarding the statistical analyses and data sharing practices should be addressed to ensure the integrity, transparency, and reproducibility of the findings from that study.