Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior Research in Low-Middle-Income Countries: A Bibliometric Analysis From 2001...

The existing physical activity (PA) literature underscores the necessity of amplifying research awareness within specific geographical contexts. The low-resource countries are facing multiple challenges in the research. Comparative analyses of PA research between higher-income and low-middle-income countries (LMICs) reveal a pressing need to bolster research efforts in LMICs. The exact output from LMICs is not clear. Hence, this bibliometric analysis aimed to evaluate the trends in PA and sedentary behavior research specifically within LMICs.

This bibliometric study utilized Scopus database using specific keywords. The geographical focus was restricted to LMICs, which were classified according to the World Bank criteria. The present review included studies on PA and sedentary behavior of the last 25 years, irrespective of their language and design. The bibliometric analysis for different variables was performed using Microsoft Excel and VOS Viewer.

The search retrieved a total of 22,605 publications from LMICs about PA and sedentary behavior. Since the year 2000, a collection of research on PA and sedentary behavior has grown significantly. China, Brazil, India, Iran, South Korea, Malaysia, and Colombia contributed 18,119 publications. The highest number of publications was from Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil, with 746 citations.

Despite overall growth, the research output from LMICs remains relatively limited. This disparity underscores the urgent need to reconsider and strengthen research and funding policies to better support and enhance scientific contributions from LMICs.