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Nutrition and Health (including climate and ecological aspects)
European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2022 )Cite this article
In nutrition research, sample size calculations for continuous outcomes are important for the planning phase of many randomized trials and could also be relevant for some observational studies such as cohort and cross-sectional studies. However, only little literature dedicated to this topic exists within nutritional science. This article reviews the most common methods for sample size calculations in nutrition research. Approximate formulas are used for explaining concepts and requirements and for working through examples from the literature. Sample size calculations for the various study designs, which are covered, may all be seen as extensions of the sample size calculation for the basic two-group comparison through the application of suitable scaling factors and, possibly, modification of the significance level. The latter is needed for sample size calculations for multi-group designs and designs involving multiple primary outcomes. Like cluster-randomized designs, these types of study designs may be more challenging than standard sample size calculations. In such non-standard scenarios, there may be a need for consulting a biostatistician. Finally, it should be stressed that there may be many ways to plan a study. The final sample size calculation provided for a grant applicant, study protocol, or publication will often not only depend on considerations and input information as described in this article but will also involve restrictions in terms of logistics and/or resources.
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National Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Studiestræde 6, DK-1455, Copenhagen K, Denmark
Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, University of Copenhagen, Rolighedsvej 26, DK-1958, Frederiksberg C, Denmark
Mette Frahm Olsen, Benedikte Grenov & Henrik Friis
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CR wrote the initial draft of the paper. MFO, BG, and HF commented on and revised the paper.
CR, MFO, BG, and HF declare no competing interests.
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Ritz, C., Olsen, M.F., Grenov, B. et al. Sample size calculations for continuous outcomes in clinical nutrition. Eur J Clin Nutr (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41430-022-01169-4
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41430-022-01169-4
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European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (Eur J Clin Nutr) ISSN 1476-5640 (online) ISSN 0954-3007 (print)