title: Reporting of non-communicable disease research in low- and middle-income countries: a pilot bibliometric analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The paper identifies the relative amount of research devoted to non-communicable disease in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
  
  
  METHODS
  A bibliometric analysis of a subset of journals published in LMICs was performed.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy-six peer-reviewed journals focused on general medicine or public health published in 46 LMICs and indexed from 1998 to 2003 in MEDLINE. A total of 24 journals were selected, 4 journals from each of 6 LMIC regions. Searches were refined using 18 non-communicable disease topics with 7,012 articles identified for analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  More than 40% of articles in LMIC regions focused on non-communicable disease research. The percentage was highest in Eastern Europe/Central Asia (47%) and lowest in Latin America (36%). The percentage of articles published in Sub-Saharan Africa (38%) did not differ significantly from that of Latin America or South Asia. Cardiovascular disease and cancer led the list of the top ten most-indexed published topics by region.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Even in regions rampant with infectious diseases, some capability exists to conduct research on non-communicable diseases. Greater attention should be paid to the conduct and support of such research in LMICs, which will benefit these countries and may yield clues to lower-cost solutions to the burden of these diseases worldwide.
authors.affiliation: National Institutes of Health, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA. hofmank@mail.nih.gov
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hofman
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ryce
authors.forename: Wendy
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Prudhomme
authors.forename: Sheldon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kotzin
mesh_terms: D015706:Bibliometrics; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003906:Developing Countries; D014943:Global Health; D006801:Humans; D010506:Periodicals as Topic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012106:Research / Q000706:statistics & numerical data