Developmental disabilities in Africa: A scientometric review

Area of Science:

• Global Health
• Disability Studies
• Scientometrics

Background:

• Developmental disabilities research is concentrated in high-income nations, despite higher prevalence in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
• Africa, a continent with a significant burden of developmental disabilities, remains underrepresented in global research.
• This study addresses the research gap by focusing on LMICs in Africa.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a scientometric review of literature on developmental disabilities in African LMICs.
• To identify key research themes and influential publications in this field.
• To map the intellectual structure and research trends.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive literature search was performed on the Scopus database.
• Data included 1720 publications and 66,000 references from 1950 to 2022.
• Document co-citation analysis was employed to identify thematic clusters and frequently cited works.

Main Results:

• The analysis identified 14 distinct thematic research clusters.
• Twelve highly cited documents were recognized as significant contributions to the field.
• A network visualization mapped the co-citation relationships within the literature.

Conclusions:

• Research trends are shifting from a medical model towards systems of care for developmental disabilities.
• Future research is expected to leverage interdisciplinary collaboration for a comprehensive understanding.
• A nuanced perspective encompassing individual, family, and community levels is emerging.