Abstract
ObjectiveGestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is associated with substantial morbidity for mothers and their offspring. While clinical and basic research activities on this important disease grow constantly, there is no concise analysis of global architecture of GDM research. Hence, it was the objective of this study to assess the global scientific performance chronologically, geographically and in relation to existing research networks and gender distribution of publishing authors.Study designOn the basis of the New Quality and Quantity Indices in Science (NewQIS) platform, scientometric methods were combined with modern visualizing techniques such as density equalizing mapping, and the Web of Science database was used to assess GDM-related entries from 1900 to 2012.ResultsTwelve thousand five hundred four GDM-related publications were identified and analyzed. The USA (4295 publications) and the UK (1354 publications) dominated the field concerning research activity, overall citations and country-specific Hirsch-Index, which quantified the impact of a country’s published research on the scientific community. Semi-qualitative indices such as country-specific citation rates ranked New Zealand and the UK at top positions. Annual collaborative publications increased steeply between the years 1990 and 2012 (71 to 1157 respectively). Subject category analysis pointed to a minor interest of public health issues in GDM research. Gender analysis in terms of publication authorship revealed a clear dominance of the male gender until 2005; then a trend towards gender equity started and the activity of female scientists grew visibly in many countries. The country-specific gender analysis revealed large differences, i.e. female scientists dominated the scientific output in the USA, whereas the majority of research was published by male authors in countries such as Japan.ConclusionThis study provides the first global sketch of GDM research architecture. While North-American and Western-European countries were dominating the GDM-related scientific landscape, a disparity exists in terms of research output between developed and low-resource countries. Since GDM is linked to considerable mortality and morbidity of mothers and their offspring and constitutes a tremendous burden for the healthcare systems in underserved countries, our findings emphasize the need to address disparities by fostering research endeavors, public health programs and collaborative efforts in these nations.
Highlights
Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is defined as impaired glucose tolerance with onset or first recognition during pregnancy [1]
The countryspecific gender analysis revealed large differences, i.e. female scientists dominated the scientific output in the United States of America (USA), whereas the majority of research was published by male authors in countries such as Japan
General parameters In total, 12,504 publications related to GDM research were identified; 95.22 % of these were authored in English
Summary
Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is defined as impaired glucose tolerance with onset or first recognition during pregnancy [1]. Fetuses exposed to an intrauterine high-glucose environment are at risk for macrosomia and adverse perinatal outcomes such as injury or asphyxia during birth, infant respiratory distress syndrome, hypoglycemia or hyperbilirubinemia [10]. They are prone to develop diabetes or obesity later in life; epigenetic changes might be responsible for this trans-generational transmission of diabetes [11]. Maternal long-term morbidities include GDM recurrence in a subsequent gestation and the development of type 2 diabetes after 5 to 10 years [13]
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