Dandona, L; Raban, MZ; Guggilla, RK; Bhatnagar, A; Dandona, R. 2009. Trends of public health research output from India during 2001-2008. BMC MEDICINE 7: art. no.-59

[Eugene Garfield]

Dandona, L; Raban, MZ; Guggilla, RK; Bhatnagar, A; Dandona, R. 2009. Trends
of public health research output from India during 2001-2008. BMC MEDICINE
7: art. no.-59. LONDON, BIOMED CENTRAL LTD.

Author Full Name(s): Dandona, Lalit; Raban, Magdalena Z.; Guggilla, Rama K.;
Bhatnagar, Aarushi; Dandona, Rakhi

Document Type: Letter

Abstract: 
Background: An understanding of how public health research output from India
is changing in relation to the disease burden and public health priorities
is required in order to inform relevant research development. We therefore
studied the trends in the public health research output from India during
2001-2008 that was readily available in the public domain.

Methods: The scope and type of the published research from India in 2007
that was included in the PubMed database was assessed and compared with a
previous similar assessment for 2002. Papers were classified based on the
review of abstracts and original public health research papers were assessed
in detail. Impact factors for the journals were used to compute
quality-adjusted research output. The websites of governmental
organizations, academic and research institutions and international
organizations were searched in order to identify and review reports on
original public health research produced in India from 2001 to 2008. The
reports were classified based on the topics covered and quality and their
trends over time were assessed.

Results: The number of original health research papers from India in PubMed
doubled from 4494 in 2002 to 9066 in 2007. This included a 3.1-fold increase
in public health research papers, but these comprised only 5% of the total
papers in 2007. Within public health, the increase was lowest for the health
system and policy category. Several major causes of disease burden in India
continued to be underrepresented in the quality-adjusted public health
research output in 2007. The number of papers evaluating population health
interventions increased from 2002 to 2007, but there were none on the
leading non-communicable causes of disease burden or on road traffic
injuries. The number of identified original public health research reports
increased by 64.7% from 204 in 2001-2004 to 336 in 2005-2008. The proportion
of reports on reproductive and child health was very high but decreased
slightly from 38.7% of the total in 2001-2004 to 31.5% in 2005-2008 (P =
0.09); those on the leading chronic non-communicable conditions and injuries
increased from 6.4% to 13.4% (P = 0.01) but this was still much lower than
their contribution to the disease burden. Health system/policy issues were
the topic in 27.4% reports but health information issues were covered in a
miniscule 0.6% reports. The proportion of reports that were evaluations
increased slightly from 26% in 2001-2004 to 31.5% in 2005-2008, with this
proportion being higher among the reports commissioned by international
organizations (P < 0.001). The proportion of reports commissioned by Indian
governmental organizations alone, or in collaboration with international
organizations, doubled from 2001-2004 to 2005-2008 (P < 0.001). Only 25% of
the total 540 reports had a quality score of adequate or better. The quality
of reports produced by collaborations between Indian and international
organizations was higher than those produced by Indian or international
organizations alone (P < 0.001).

Conclusion: This is the first analysis from India that includes research
reports in addition to published papers. It provides the most up-to-date
understanding of public health research output from India. The increase in
available public health research output and the increase in commissioning of
this research by Indian governmental organizations are encouraging. However,
the distribution of research topics and the quality of research reports
continue to be unsatisfactory. It is necessary for health policy to address
these continuing deficits in public health research in order to reduce the
very large disease burden in India.

Addresses: [Dandona, Lalit; Raban, Magdalena Z.; Bhatnagar, Aarushi;
Dandona, Rakhi] Publ Hlth Fdn India, New Delhi, India; [Dandona, Lalit] Univ
Washington, Inst Hlth Metr & Evaluat, Seattle, WA 98195 USA; [Dandona,
Lalit; Raban, Magdalena Z.; Dandona, Rakhi] Univ Sydney, Sch Publ Hlth,
Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia; [Dandona, Lalit; Raban, Magdalena Z.; Dandona,
Rakhi] Univ Sydney, George Inst Int Hlth, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia;
[Dandona, Lalit; Guggilla, Rama K.; Dandona, Rakhi] George Inst Int Hlth,
Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India

Reprint Address: Dandona, L, Publ Hlth Fdn India, New Delhi, India.

E-mail Address: lalit.dandona at phfi.org; mrab2647 at uni.sydney.edu.au;
r.guggilla at george.org.in; aarushibhatnagar at gmail.com; rakhi.dandona at phfi.org

ISSN: 1741-7015
DOI: 10.1186/1741-7015-7-59