Abstract
Background
Since the Korean Journal of Family Medicine (KJFM) started publishing from 1980, randomized cotrolled trials (RCTs) and non-randomized controlled studies (NRSs) consistently have increased in quality and quantity. Although there have been several studies about the quality assessment of RCTs in Korea, there has been no study about quality assessment of NRS. Thus, this study scrutinies NRS in the KJFM to assess the quantity and quality. Methods: Upon extracting NRSs for assessing a intervention effects from all the articles published in the KJFM from 1980 to 2006, assessments were made on methodological index for non-randomized studies (MINORS). Also the analysis were made upon the proportion of NRSs within original articles according to two categories (comparative study, non-comparative study). The mean scores by research methods and years, and total scores and mean scores of yearly research methods were analyzed. Results: 34 trials on NRSs were selected. In 1980s, 0.65% of the total selected original articles, in 1990s, 1.54%, and in 2000s 5.11% were NRSs. According to the research designs, the mean scores of MINORS were before and after study 8.5, interrupted Time Series 9.7 (out of 16), controlled before and after 13.5, quasi randomized trial 12.6, and non randomized trial 13 (out of 24). Before and after design was the most frequent used (55.9%). Conclusion: Although NRSs consistently increased in quantity, the assessed mean scores were low and most articles used before and after design. Thus, there should be studies using appropriate research methods in the future.
Citations
Citations to this article as recorded by

- An Integrative Review of Depression Related to Intervention Studies for Women in Korea Journals
Eun Young Choi, Eun Hee Lee, Hye Jin Hyun, Mi Kyeong Byeon
Korean Journal of Women Health Nursing.2015; 21(4): 284. CrossRef - Research Trends of Pattern Identification of Korean Medicine Using the Network Analysis
Hee-Jeong Jin, JaeChul Lee, Eunsu Jang
The Journal of the Korea Contents Association.2014; 14(12): 1037. CrossRef - Quality Assessment of Non-Randomized Studies in the Journal of Korean Fundamentals of Nursing
Jongsoon Won, YunHee Shin, HyoungSook Park, Hyojung Park, Se Hyun Lim, Mee-Kyung Shin, Young-Ok Yang, Young-Ju Kim, Sung Ok Chang, Seung Kyo Chaung, Jung-Hee Kim
Journal of Korean Academy of Fundamentals of Nursing.2014; 21(3): 311. CrossRef - Domestic Trends of Research and Patent for Sleep Disorder
Younghwa Baek, Jonghyang Yoo, Si-Woo Lee, Hee-Jeong Jin
The Journal of the Korea Contents Association.2013; 13(6): 309. CrossRef - The Quality of Reporting of Intervention Studies in the Korean Journal of Women Health Nursing (KJWHN): Based on the TREND Guidelines
Myounghee Kim, Suk-Hee Cheon, Eun-Mi Jun, Sue Kim, Ju-Eun Song, Sukhee Ahn, Hyun-Ei Oh, Eun-Joo Lee
Korean Journal of Women Health Nursing.2013; 19(4): 306. CrossRef - Research Trends of Randomized Clinical Trial for Insomnia Using the Network Analysis
Younghwa Baek, Hee-Jeong Jin
The Journal of the Korea Contents Association.2013; 13(12): 1036. CrossRef - Quality Assessment Tools and Reporting Standards in Nursing Research
Kyunghee Kim, Joo Hyun Kim, Kyung-Choon Lim, Kyung-Sook Lee, Jae-Sim Jeong, Myoung-Ae Choe, Young Ran Chae
Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science.2012; 14(3): 221. CrossRef