Table 2 Matched observational retrospective cohort with a target trial emulation design
Protocol Component | Description |
|---|---|
Eligibility criteria | • Massachusetts schools with testing program implemented during the 2021-22 school year • No surveillance testing program before 9/19/2021 |
Policy interventions | • Intervention: Implementation of in-school surveillance testing program on 9/19/2021 • Control: No surveillance testing program |
Follow-up period | • 12 weeks after 9/19/2021 (study end: 12/12/2021) |
Matching criteria | • Massachusetts schools that did not have a surveillance testing program on the study start date were propensity-matched 1:1 based on average vaccination at the level of the school-aged population, consent rate, race, urban/rural, title1 status, charter, masking policy, public/private |
Outcome(s) | • Primary: In-school test-to-stay positivity rate • Sensitivity analysis: In-school all test positivity rate |
Critical co-variates | • Community cases per 100,000 at the town-level, Treatment/control, weeks from program start |
Causal contrasts of interest | • Intention-to-treat: Once included in the study, all schools were analyzed according to their initial assignment (intervention or control). |
Statistical analysis | • Primary: cluster GEE model adjusted for critical co-variates • Secondary: Fixed effects model • Sensitivity analysis: Counties that implemented surveillance testing after the study start date were excluded |
