Open AccessAsians and Asian Subgroups are Underrepresented in Medical Research Studies Published in High-Impact Generalist Journals
Author(s) -
Hong An T. Nguyen,
Amy Zheng,
Abigail Gugel,
Caroline J. Kistin
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of immigrant and minority health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.758
H-Index - 57
eISSN - 1557-1920
pISSN - 1557-1912
DOI - 10.1007/s10903-021-01142-6
Subject(s) - medicine , ethnic group , family medicine , public health , inclusion (mineral) , epidemiology , medline , alternative medicine , gerontology , population , asian americans , demography , environmental health , psychology , pathology , social psychology , sociology , anthropology , political science , law
Including diverse participants in biomedical research is essential to reduce health disparities. We assessed the inclusion of Asians in original research studies conducted in North America and published from 2015-2016 in six high-impact generalist journals: New England Journal of Medicine, Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), JAMA Internal Medicine, JAMA Pediatrics, Annals of Internal Medicine, and Pediatrics. We determined race reporting method, participant percentage, and reporting of outcomes or implications of findings for Asians and Asian subgroups. Of 1077 studies, 263 articles (24.4%) identified Asians as a distinct race/ethnicity; the median percentage of Asians per study was 3.8%. Of the 263 articles, 28 (10.6%) studies reported outcomes for Asians; nine (3.4%) articles included information about Asian subgroups. Asians are underrepresented in high-impact medical research studies in North America. Efforts to improve study enrollment, data collection, and reporting of findings of Asians in studies remain essential to improve health outcomes for this population.