Health communication research in the Arab world: a bibliometric analysis

Abstract

IntroductionA recent bibliometric analysis of health communication research in the Arab world identified 66 reports since 2004. However, it covered only PubMed and used “health communication” as a unique search phrase. This does not capture Gary Kreps’ five health communication research areas: health promotion, delivery of care, risk communication, eHealth, and healthcare management.Aims and objectivesTo generate a more comprehensive map of health communication research in the Arab world by searching three major bibliographic databases: PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science (WoS). To undertake a publication and citation analysis comparing countries, authors, institutions, research themes, and publication venues across the databases.MethodsWe developed a sensitive search strategy encompassing health communication-relevant keywords, Medical Subject Headings (MeSH), and a filter to identify the 22 countries of the League of Arab States. We conducted separate searches in PubMed, Scopus, and WoS. We compared search results and publication classifications across the databases. We used Scopus and WoS built-in analytical features to generate data inputted into VOSviewer to undertake citation, co-citation, and co-word analyses to map themes and research areas across databases.ResultsAs of May 8, 2024, Searches yielded 518 records in PubMed, 559 in Scopus, 483 in WoS, and 905 unique records across databases. Most research has been conducted in the last 2 years in Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, the UAE, and Lebanon. Health communication research is multidisciplinary, with a thematic structure representing the recent developments of telemedicine and eHealth during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.ConclusionHealth communication research in the Arab world has been much broader than depicted before and goes beyond communication sciences. This bibliometric analysis reveals the extensive and diverse landscape of health communication research in the Arab world, emphasising its multidisciplinary nature and laying the groundwork for future studies and policy directions.