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Asians and Asian Subgroups are Underrepresented in Medical Research Studies Published in High-Impact Generalist Journals

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Abstract

Including diverse participants in biomedical research is essential to reduce health disparities. We assessed the inclusion of Asians in original research studies conducted in North America and published from 2015-2016 in six high-impact generalist journals: New England Journal of Medicine, Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), JAMA Internal Medicine, JAMA Pediatrics, Annals of Internal Medicine, and Pediatrics. We determined race reporting method, participant percentage, and reporting of outcomes or implications of findings for Asians and Asian subgroups. Of 1077 studies, 263 articles (24.4%) identified Asians as a distinct race/ethnicity; the median percentage of Asians per study was 3.8%. Of the 263 articles, 28 (10.6%) studies reported outcomes for Asians; nine (3.4%) articles included information about Asian subgroups. Asians are underrepresented in high-impact medical research studies in North America. Efforts to improve study enrollment, data collection, and reporting of findings of Asians in studies remain essential to improve health outcomes for this population.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Academic General Pediatrics, Children’s Hospital at Montefiore/Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 3411 Wayne Avenue, Room 856, Bronx, NY, 10467, USA

    Hong-An T. Nguyen

  2. PHI/CDC Global Health Fellowship, Atlanta, GA, USA

    Amy Zheng

  3. Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, 02118, USA

    Abigail Gugel

  4. Department of Pediatrics, Boston Medical Center/Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 02118, USA

    Caroline J. Kistin

Authors
  1. Hong-An T. Nguyen
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  2. Amy Zheng
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  3. Abigail Gugel
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  4. Caroline J. Kistin
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hong-An T. Nguyen.

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This study was funded by Health Resources and Services Administration (Grant No. T32HP10028) and National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (Grant No. 1UL1TR0011430).

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Nguyen, HA.T., Zheng, A., Gugel, A. et al. Asians and Asian Subgroups are Underrepresented in Medical Research Studies Published in High-Impact Generalist Journals. J Immigrant Minority Health 23, 646–649 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-021-01142-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-021-01142-6

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