Three Unrelated Studies from Hubei University of Medicine Share the Same Ethical Approval
Three unrelated studies [1–3] from two different author groups cite the same ethical approval number (2023-RE-046).
Articles [1] and [2] examine the effect of peer victimization on adolescents' mental health, whereas article [3] investigates the effect of Astragali Radix extract on treating chronic nephritis. These studies do not appear to overlap, which raises concerns that at least one of the three articles may contain a fraudulent ethics statement.
The authors of the three articles [1–3] were contacted to clarify this matter; however, to date, the 5GH Team has not received any response from them.
Update: 2026-08-03
Dr. LI Fei, the corresponding author of the article [3], recently provides the ethical approval document [4] indicating that the approval number cited in their article [3] was caused by typo. The correct number should be 2023-RE-046.
Reference
[1] 10.1007/s12144-024-06262-4