Mapping the global landscape of public health policy research: A bibliometric study based on Scopus data (2000–2024)

Background

Global public health policy research has evolved more slowly compared to other health domains. Despite the continuous growth of health literature, a comprehensive bibliometric mapping of the global landscape of public health policy research remains unavailable, particularly regarding geographical disparities and collaborative networks.

Methodology

This study conducts a systematic bibliometric analysis of 501 public health policy research publications using Scopus data from 2000 to 2024. Bibliometric techniques such as keyword co-occurrence analysis, thematic mapping, and network visualization are employed to identify growth patterns, geographic distribution, thematic evolution, and collaboration networks.

Results/Discussion

The analysis reveals three developmental phases: "risk" focus (2000–2007), "access" emphasis (2008–2015), and integrated "health" approaches (2016–2024). Publications demonstrate significant growth (19.26% annual growth rate) with a surge after 2020. The United States and the United Kingdom dominate, while network visualization uncovers a persistent "core-periphery" structure.

Conclusion/Perspectives

Findings highlight productivity disparities between developed and developing countries, underscoring the need for enhanced research capacity in underrepresented areas and more equitable collaboration networks. Future directions include expanding data coverage, applying more sophisticated social impact metrics, and investigating informal knowledge transfer mechanisms to inform more effective and equitable global public health policies.