Use of epidemiology in clinical medical publications, 1983-1999: a citation analysis.
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Epidemiologists respond to the information needs of health professionals. Although medical professionals are routine users of epidemiologic information, use within medical specialties varies remarkably. To explore the variation in use of epidemiologic information across clinical medical specialties, the authors examined the scientific literature by analyzing patterns of citation of specific journal articles to and by the American Journal of Epidemiology (AJE). A total of 178,396 journal citations to and 126,478 citations by AJE were made from 1983 through 1999; citations were classified according to the subject category of the referencing or referenced journal. Clinical medical journals accounted for 50.6% of all citations combined (both referenced to and referenced by AJE); general/internal medicine (17.9%), cancer (10.4%), and cardiovascular (4.9%) journals had the highest number of citations. Few citations to and by AJE were found in publications specializing in dermatology, gastroenterology, orthopedics, allergy, anesthesiology, surgery, rheumatology, and other areas. Trend patterns of citations between clinical and epidemiologic literature indicated that citations to the fields of cardiovascular disease and cancer are increasing, whereas citations regarding pediatrics have remained stable. This analysis suggests an increasing interchange of information between epidemiologists and clinicians specializing in certain fields, uncovering potential research opportunities for epidemiologists. (+info)
How much science is there in injury prevention and control?
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OBJECTIVES: To determine what proportion of research papers at an injury prevention conference reported an evaluation. METHODS: A random sample of 250 abstracts from the 6th World Conference on Injury Prevention and Control were classified by methodological type. Those that described any evaluation were further subdivided by whether the evaluation was of process or if it used an intermediate or "true" outcome. RESULTS: Of 250 abstracts, 20 (8%; 95% confidence interval 5.0% to 12.1%) showed evaluations with intermediate or true outcomes. Research designs were weak. Among the 20 reports, none was a randomized trial and only two conducted a before and after study with control group. The remaining 17 used before-after or "after only" designs. CONCLUSION: The conference papers included few evaluations. To ensure that resources are best used, those in the injury prevention field must increase their use of rigorous evaluation. (+info)
Tobacco industry efforts to defeat the occupational safety and health administration indoor air quality rule.
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OBJECTIVES: We describe tobacco industry strategies to defeat the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Indoor Air Quality rule and the implementation of those strategies. METHODS: We analyzed tobacco industry documents, public commentary on, and media coverage of the OSHA rule. RESULTS: The tobacco industry had 5 strategies: (1) maintain scientific debate about the basis of the rule, (2) delay deliberation on the rule, (3) redefine the scope of the rule, (4) recruit and assist labor and business organizations in opposing the rule, and (5) increase media coverage of the tobacco industry position. The tobacco industry successfully implemented all 5 strategies. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that regulatory authorities must take into account the source, motivation, and validity of arguments used in the regulatory process in order to make accurately informed decisions. (+info)
Authors' financial relationships with the food and beverage industry and their published positions on the fat substitute olestra.
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OBJECTIVES: This study examined the association between authors' published positions on the safety and efficacy in assisting with weight loss of the Procter & Gamble (P&G) fat substitute olestra and their financial relationships with the food and beverage industry. METHODS: Journal articles about olestra, and their authors, were classified as supportive, critical, or neutral with respect to its use. Authors not known to have industry affiliations were surveyed about their financial relationships. RESULTS: Supportive authors were significantly more likely than critical or neutral authors to have financial relationships with P&G (80% vs 11% and 21%, respectively; P <.0001). All authors disclosing an affiliation with P&G were supportive. CONCLUSIONS: Because authors' published opinions were associated with their financial relationships, obtaining noncommercial funding may be more essential to maintaining objectivity than disclosing personal financial interests. (+info)
The quantity and quality of scientific graphs in pharmaceutical advertisements.
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We characterized the quantity and quality of graphs in all pharmaceutical advertisements, in the 10 U.S. medical journals. Four hundred eighty-four unique advertisements (of 3,185 total advertisements) contained 836 glossy and 455 small-print pages. Forty-nine percent of glossy page area was nonscientific figures/images, 0.4% tables, and 1.6% scientific graphs (74 graphs in 64 advertisements). All 74 graphs were univariate displays, 4% were distributions, and 4% contained confidence intervals for summary measures. Extraneous decoration (66%) and redundancy (46%) were common. Fifty-eight percent of graphs presented an outcome relevant to the drug's indication. Numeric distortion, specifically prohibited by FDA regulations, occurred in 36% of graphs. (+info)
Drugs in the news: an analysis of Canadian newspaper coverage of new prescription drugs.
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BACKGROUND: Patients routinely cite the media, after physicians and pharmacists, as a key source of information on new drugs, but there has been little research on the quality of drug information presented. We assessed newspaper descriptions of drug benefits and harms, the nature of the effects described and the presence or absence of other important information that can add context and balance to a report about a new drug. METHODS: We looked at newspaper coverage in the year 2000 of 5 prescription drugs launched in Canada between 1996 and 2001 that received a high degree of media attention: atorvastatin, celecoxib, donepezil, oseltamivir and raloxifene. We searched 24 of Canada's largest daily newspapers for articles reporting at least one benefit or harm of any of these 5 drugs. We recorded the benefits and harms reported and analyzed how such information was presented; we also determined whether clinical or surrogate outcomes were mentioned; if and how drug effects were quantified; whether contraindications, other treatment options and costs were mentioned; and whether any information on affiliations of quoted interviewees and potential conflicts of interest was presented. RESULTS: Our search yielded 193 articles reporting at least one benefit or harm for 1 of the 5 drugs. All of the articles mentioned at least one benefit, but 68% (132/193) made no mention of possible side effects or harms. Only 24% (120/510) of mentions of drug benefits and harms presented quantitative information. In 26% (31/120) of cases in which drug benefits and harms were quantified, the magnitude was presented only in relative terms, which can be misleading. Overall, 62% (119/193) of the articles gave no quantification of the benefits or harms. Thirty-seven (19%) of the 193 articles reported only surrogate benefits. Other information needed for informed drug-related decisions was often lacking: only 7 (4%) of the articles mentioned contraindications, 61 (32%) mentioned drug costs, 89 (46%) mentioned drug alternatives, and 30 (16%) mentioned nondrug treatment options (such as exercise or diet). Sixty-two percent (120/193) of the articles quoted at least one interviewee. After exclusion of industry and government spokespeople, for only 3% (5/164) of interviewees was there any mention of potential financial conflicts of interest. Twenty-six percent (15/57) of the articles discussing a study included information on study funding. INTERPRETATION: Our results raise concerns about the completeness and quality of media reporting about new medications. (+info)
R.J. Reynolds' targeting of African Americans: 1988-2000.
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OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to describe RJ Reynolds (RJR) Tobacco Company's strategy for targeting African Americans, as revealed in tobacco industry documents and magazine advertisements. METHODS: The authors searched industry documents to determine RJR's strategies and analyzed magazine advertising during 2 periods: the time of the launch of the company's Uptown cigarette (1989-1990) and a decade later (1999-2000). RESULTS: RJR's efforts to target the African American market segment existed before and after Uptown, and the company's strategy was largely implemented via other RJR brands. Advertisements featured mentholated cigarettes, fantasy/escape, expensive objects, and nightlife. CONCLUSIONS: To help all populations become tobacco-free, tobacco control practitioners must understand and counter tobacco industry strategies. (+info)
Citation trends of applied journals in behavioral psychology 1981-2000.
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One variable with which to evaluate scientific journals is how often their articles are cited in the literature. Such data are amenable to longitudinal analysis and can be used as a measure of a journal's impact on research within a discipline. We evaluated multiple citation measures for a number of applied journals in behavioral psychology from 1981 to 2000. The results indicate a relatively consistent impact across these journals, with some evidence of growth. (+info)