Health communication research in the Arab world: A bibliometric analysis

OBJECTIVE: Health communication is a novel field in the Arab world. This study aimed to describe and characterise health communication research activity in the region. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The PubMed database was used to search for publications related to health communication from Arab states. Publications were classified according to country of origin, without limiting for date. Research activity and output were examined with respect to population and the gross domestic product (GDP) of each Arab state. RESULTS: A total of 66 contributions related to health communication came from the Arab countries, with the first paper published from Lebanon in 2004. Health communication-related publications constituted 0.03% of the total biomedical research contributions published by the Arab world since 2004 and 1% of the world’s health communication literature. Number of health communication contributions ranged between 0 and 12, with Lebanon producing the most output. Qatar ranked first with respect to contributions per population, whereas Lebanon ranked first with respect to contributions per GDP. Algeria, Comoros, Djibouti, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Mauritania, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen had nil health communication publications. CONCLUSION: Recognising the barriers facing the health communication field and addressing them carefully are vital in the plan to better the Arab world’s output and contribution in the field.