Tricco, AC; Runnels, V; Sampson, M; Bouchard, L Health, Health Promotion, and Public Health A Bibliometric Analysis CANADIAN JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH-REVUE CANADIENNE DE SANTE PUBLIQUE, 99 (6): 466-471 NOV-DEC 2008

[Eugene Garfield]

E-mail Address: atric060 at Uottawa.ca 

Author(s): Tricco, AC (Tricco, Andrea C.); Runnels, V (Runnels, Vivien); 
Sampson, M (Sampson, Margaret); Bouchard, L (Bouchard, Louise) 

Title: Health, Health Promotion, and Public Health A Bibliometric Analysis 

Source: CANADIAN JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH-REVUE CANADIENNE DE SANTE 
PUBLIQUE, 99 (6): 466-471 NOV-DEC 2008 

Language: English 

Document Type: Article 

Author Keywords: Bibliometric analysis; public health; health promotion; 
population health 

KeyWords Plus: POPULATION HEALTH; MEDICINE; CARE 

Abstract: Objective: Bibliometric analysis can be used to objectively 
compare the usage of terms over time. The purpose of this research was to 
compare the use of population health, health promotion, and public health 
using bibliometric indicators of the published literature.
Methods: Bibliometric indicators, Such as scientific productivity and the 
overlap between the terms, were analyzed in the Web of Science. Indexing 
Of Population health, health promotion, and public health was explored in 
MEDLINE, CINAHL, and EMBASE.
Results: The most productive country in population health was Canada, 
while the most productive country in health promotion and public health 
was the United States. The number of published articles using the public 
health term was surpassed by health promotion around 1990. Both were 
surpassed by population health around 2000. Population health was the only 
concept which lacked an index term in all three databases.
Discussion: There has been a shift in the usage of public health, health 
promotion, and population health concepts over time. Country analysis 
revealed that Canadian researchers are leaders in population health, while 
researchers based in the United States are leaders in public health and 
health promotion. This may indicate differences rooted in the social, 
historical and economic traditions.
Although the publication rate of articles described as 'population health' 
research is increasing, it is lacking an index term across major 
electronic databases. We suggest that without timely acceptance of terms, 
new concepts that represent different ways of thinking about health may be 
limited, delayed or glossed over. 

Addresses: [Tricco, Andrea C.; Runnels, Vivien; Bouchard, Louise] Univ 
Ottawa, Inst Populat Hlth, Ottawa, ON K1H 8L1, Canada; [Sampson, Margaret] 
Childrens Hosp Eastern Ontario, Res Inst, Chalmers Res Grp, Ottawa, ON K1H 
8L1, Canada; [Sampson, Margaret] Univ Wales, Dept Informat Studies, 
Aberystwyth, Dyfed, Wales; [Bouchard, Louise] Univ Ottawa, Dept Anthropol 
& Sociol, Ottawa, ON K1H 8L1, Canada 

Reprint Address: Tricco, AC, Univ Ottawa, Childrens Hosp Eastern Ontario, 
Inst Populat Hlth, 401 Smyth Rd, Ottawa, ON K1H 8L1, Canada. 

E-mail Address: atric060 at Uottawa.ca 

Cited Reference Count: 28 

Times Cited: 0 

Publisher: CANADIAN PUBLIC HEALTH ASSOC 

Publisher Address: 1565 CARLING AVE, SUITE 400, OTTAWA, ONTARIO K1Z 8R1, 
CANADA 

ISSN: 0008-4263 

29-char Source Abbrev.: CAN J PUBL HEALTH-REV CAN SAN 

ISO Source Abbrev.: Can. J. Public Health-Rev. Can. Sante Publ. 

Source Item Page Count: 6 

Subject Category: Public, Environmental & Occupational Health 

ISI Document Delivery No.: 388GG 

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