WikiJournalClub:Table 1 P value

The table 1 P value is a frequently encountered but almost always inappropriate P value contained within the "table 1" or "baseline characteristics" table of a journal article. The gist is that P values define an arbitrary threshold for "statistical significance": there is a P% chance that a difference is due to chance. The problem with table 1 P values is that if a study's allocation, concealment, and randomization are sufficient, then differences between baseline characteristics should always be due to chance.