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Discordance Between Population Impact of Musculoskeletal Disorders and Scientific Representation: A Bibliometric Study
Author(s) -
Perruccio Anthony V.,
Yip Calvin,
Power J. Denise,
Canizares Mayilee,
Badley Elizabeth M.
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
arthritis care and research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.032
H-Index - 163
eISSN - 2151-4658
pISSN - 2151-464X
DOI - 10.1002/acr.23583
Subject(s) - medicine , medline , public health , multidisciplinary approach , geriatrics , gerontology , population , neglect , health care , family medicine , environmental health , psychiatry , pathology , social science , sociology , political science , law , economics , economic growth
Objective Musculoskeletal disorders ( MSD s) are a leading cause of healthy years lost due to premature mortality and disability. Our objective was to investigate whether MSD s were commensurably represented within the published health literature. Methods MEDLINE bibliometric data were retrieved for 2011 and 2016. The 25 disease branches, including MSD s, were ranked according to published article counts, proportion of all publications, and increase in publications from 2011 to 2016. Rankings were also considered within 5 groupings of general health journals: geriatrics and gerontology, general and internal medicine, multidisciplinary sciences, primary health care, and public health. Results There were 532,283 MEDLINE publications in 2016, a 16% increase over 2011. In 2016, MSD s ranked 13th in publication count, unchanged from 2011. The increase of 11% in MSD publications from 2011 was below the overall increase. Of 2016 publications, only 7% were MSD indexed, dropping from 7.3% in 2011. MSD ‐indexed publications had their highest ranking (8th) within geriatrics and gerontology, and lowest (19th) within public health. Conclusion MSD s appear underrepresented in the published health literature generally, and specifically within public health, despite their significant population impact. A broader focus on noncommunicable diseases associated with mortality omits noncommunicable diseases such as MSD s that are leading contributors to high morbidity and high costs, and such omission likely contributes to the neglect of recognizing MSD s as a health priority.