ART: Lidor, Is research on aging and physical activity really increasing? A bibliometric analysis"

[Gretchen Whitney]

n.b.: a summary of the article prepared by the authors follows the
bibliographic information and abstract.  --gw

Ronnie Lidor, Ph.D.
E-mail: lidor at macam.ac.il

Title   :       Is research on aging and physical activity really
increasing? A bibliometric analysis
Author  :        Lidor R, Miller U, Rotstein A
Journal :        JOURNAL OF AGING AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
                                      7: (2) 182-195 APR 1999

 Document type: Article    Language: English    Cited References: 7    Times
Cited: 1


Abstract:
In Light of the dramatic increase in the older adult population, we analyzed
publications on aging and physical activity during the last 3 decades, based
on (a) the
ratio of the number of publications on aging to the total number of
publications and the ratios of (b) the total number of publications on
physical activity and aging
and (c) the number of such publications in 6 selected journals to the number
of publications on physical activity in general. Our findings indicate that
few changes
have occurred during the last 3 decades with regard to the volume of
publication on aging and physical activity. Two conclusions can be reached:
(a) The interest of
researchers in exercise and sport sciences does not reflect that of society
at large concerning older adults, and (b) an in-depth analysis should be
conducted to study
the periodicals that are published not only in the area of exercise and
sport sciences but also in other related areas such as medicine, psychology,
and health.

Author Keywords:
bibliometric analysis, aging, physical activity

Addresses:
Lidor R, Wingate Inst, Zinman Coll Phys Educ & Sport Sci, IL-42902 Nethanya,
Israel.
Wingate Inst, Zinman Coll Phys Educ & Sport Sci, IL-42902 Nethanya, Israel.

Publisher:
HUMAN KINETICS PUBL INC, CHAMPAIGN

IDS Number:
181QD

ISSN:
1063-8652


Cited Author            Cited Work                      Volume      Page
Year

 *ORG EC COOP DEV      AG POP SOC POL IMPL
1988
 *RAP REP              OLD PEOPL EUR COMM P
1993
 BAKER DR              J SOC WORK EDUC                           27
41      1991
 MCGHEE PE             LIB INFORMATION SCI                        4
285        1987
 NISONGER TE           LIB RESOURCES TECHNI                         4
477        1990
 TOURT K               AGING DEV COUNTRIES
1989
 WALKER A              AGING EUROPE
1997


BRIEF SUMMARY PREPARED BY THE AUTHORS FOR SIG-Metrics

Is Research on Aging and Physical Activity Really Increasing?
A Bibliometric Analysis - A Summary
Ronnie Lidor and Uri Miller

                        Statistical reports on aging populations reveal that
over the past 3 decades the number of older people (60 years of age and
over) has rapidly grown. For example, from 1960 to 1990 the number of older
people in European communities rose from 46.5 million to 68.6 million. It is
predicted that in 2020 the aging trend will be even stronger; the percentage
of the population aged 60 and over will be 25.3 in the United Kingdom, 29.9
in Italy, 27.7 in Germany, and 28.9 in Belgium.
                        This trend can be observed not only in Europe but
also in the United States and other parts of the world. It has been reported
that since the late 1980s the United States has the highest proportion of
elderly. Although in developing countries such as Ethiopia, India, Burma,
and Bangladesh the trend is not as strong as in Europe and the United
States, the percentage of the population over age 60 in these countries has
also grown over the past 2 decades.
                        It was the purpose of this study to examine the
state of interest of researchers in the exercise and sport sciences on
aging, the older adult population, and physical activity. More specifically,
we analyzed the number of publications - journal articles on aging and
physical activity - that are included for the last 3 decades in the SPORT
Discus and MEDLINE databases. It was assumed that (a) the ratio has
increased between the number of publications on adult populations and the
total number of publications in SPORT Discus and MEDLINE. (b) the number of
publications that focus on aging and physical activity has increased, and
(c) the expected increased ratio would be observed in scientific periodicals
from the behavioral sciences, as well as the medical and the physiological
sciences.
                        To study these assumptions, a bibliometric analysis
was conducted on the SPORT Discus and MEDLINE databases. A bibliometric
analysis has been defined as the application of mathematical and statistical
methods to the study of bodies of writings - for example, scientific
periodicals - to reveal the historical development of subject fields and
patterns of authorship and publication. This type of analysis is widely used
in the literature, mainly to provide a picture of the state of research in a
discipline, as well as to determine broad characteristics of material
currently in print.
                        Our findings indicate that few changes have occurred
during the last 3 decades with regard to the volume of publication on aging
and physical activity. Two conclusions can be reached: (a) the interest of
researchers in exercise and sport sciences does not reflect that of society
at large concerning older adults, and (b) an in-depth analysis should be
conducted to study the periodicals that are published not only in the area
of exercise and sport sciences but also in other related areas such as
medicine, psychology, and health.
                Key Words: bibliometric analysis, aging, physical activity.

                _______________________








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Bibliographic information (c) ISI, Reprinted with permission
Please visit their website at www.isinet.com

Author summary (c) the authors, reprinted with permission
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