UCSF

Abstract: The health disparities research field is rapidly evolving, but not all populations may be adequately represented in research on disparities. This study characterizes the current state of disparities literature and identifies trends, gaps, and opportunities in the field through bibliometric analysis. 260 articles published between January 2020 and August 2022, of which 95% focused on health disparities, were included in the analysis. 67% of studies investigated disparities across racial or ethnic groups, and all 9 articles on physician employment investigated disparities in gender. The majority of studies focused on adults, with 71% of studies having mean or median ages of subjects between 40 and 80 years. Articles on cancer and cardiovascular conditions comprised 34% of health-related disparity studies. Our results highlight a need to study disparities in pediatric and young adult populations. Such research can identify targets of early intervention that may improve long-term health and reduce disparities presenting in late adulthood.