Article type
Abstract
Background: Global health disparities persist, and this phenomenon is prevalent within the scientific community. The World Bank categorizes economies into 4 income groups: low, lower-middle, upper-middle, and high income. This classification is based on the gross national income (GNI), which quantifies the total domestic and foreign attributed to residents within a year [1].
Objectives: This study aims to evaluate the country distribution of all authors contributing to Cochrane Systematic Reviews (CSR) published in 2023.
Methods: We systematically collected data on all CSR published in 2023, extracting information about the number and nation of all authors and contact authors. The World Bank classification guided the categorization of the nations based on the GNI per capita [1,2].
Results: We included 409 CSR published in 2023, authored by 2,805 individuals. The mean number of authors included per review was 6.85 (standard deviation = 3.71, range 2-35). As some individuals declared more than 1 country in their affiliation, the total number of countries in the sample size is 2,886. In total, 84.5% belonged to high-income economies (2,438/2,886), 11% to upper-middle-income economies (317/2,886), and 4.3% to lower-middle-income economies (317/2,886). Notably, only 0.24% (7/2,886) of authors represented low-income economies.
The corresponding authors were most frequently from the United Kingdom (29,8%), Australia (13,8%), and the United States (8,4%), with these 3 nations representing the country of 52% of contact authors. Contact authors were from 417 countries in total, and 84.2% were from high-income, 12% were from upper-middle-income, and 3.8% were from lower-middle-income economies. No contact author was from a low-income economy.
Conclusions: The notable disparity in the national background among review authors highlights the necessity to comprehend the factors constraining the engagement of authors from low- and lower-middle-income economies in CSR. Initiatives, including training programs and the widespread dissemination of CSR, should be devised to enhance participation of authors from less economically advantaged nations and thus increase and enrich the diversity of CSR.
Relevance and Importance to Patients: Global disparities persist across various sectors, including in health research. It is imperative to strive for equity both between and within nations to ensure that patients have access to information that reflects their unique contexts and needs.
Objectives: This study aims to evaluate the country distribution of all authors contributing to Cochrane Systematic Reviews (CSR) published in 2023.
Methods: We systematically collected data on all CSR published in 2023, extracting information about the number and nation of all authors and contact authors. The World Bank classification guided the categorization of the nations based on the GNI per capita [1,2].
Results: We included 409 CSR published in 2023, authored by 2,805 individuals. The mean number of authors included per review was 6.85 (standard deviation = 3.71, range 2-35). As some individuals declared more than 1 country in their affiliation, the total number of countries in the sample size is 2,886. In total, 84.5% belonged to high-income economies (2,438/2,886), 11% to upper-middle-income economies (317/2,886), and 4.3% to lower-middle-income economies (317/2,886). Notably, only 0.24% (7/2,886) of authors represented low-income economies.
The corresponding authors were most frequently from the United Kingdom (29,8%), Australia (13,8%), and the United States (8,4%), with these 3 nations representing the country of 52% of contact authors. Contact authors were from 417 countries in total, and 84.2% were from high-income, 12% were from upper-middle-income, and 3.8% were from lower-middle-income economies. No contact author was from a low-income economy.
Conclusions: The notable disparity in the national background among review authors highlights the necessity to comprehend the factors constraining the engagement of authors from low- and lower-middle-income economies in CSR. Initiatives, including training programs and the widespread dissemination of CSR, should be devised to enhance participation of authors from less economically advantaged nations and thus increase and enrich the diversity of CSR.
Relevance and Importance to Patients: Global disparities persist across various sectors, including in health research. It is imperative to strive for equity both between and within nations to ensure that patients have access to information that reflects their unique contexts and needs.