Migration and Women's Health Research (2000-2023): A bibliometric analysis of trends and gaps

Abstract

This bibliometric study examines the scholarly landscape of migration and women's health, analyzing 1314 Scopus-indexed articles from 462 journals published between 2000 and 2023. Findings indicate a consistent increase in research output, reflecting growing global interest in this interdisciplinary field. Geographically, high-income countries (HICs), including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia, dominate contributions, while low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) remain underrepresented despite hosting significant migrant populations. International collaborations play a crucial role, with key institutions such as the University of California and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine shaping research efforts. The keyword co-occurrence analysis highlights migration, gender dynamics, mental health, and reproductive health as dominant themes. Persistent gaps in mental and reproductive healthcare access for migrant women emphasize the need for trauma-informed care (TIC), mobile bilingual healthcare services, and inclusive health policies. Disparities in research funding further exacerbate global health inequities, underscoring the necessity of equitable redistribution of resources, including redirecting at least 10 % of HIC research grants to LMIC-led studies. The COVID-19 pandemic magnified pre-existing vulnerabilities, stressing the importance of multilateral collaborations and sustainable policy interventions to enhance migrant healthcare access. This study provides valuable insights into research trends, collaboration networks, and thematic focus areas, offering a foundation for future interdisciplinary research and evidence-based policymaking aimed at promoting health equity for migrant women globally.

Keywords: Bibliometric analysis; Health; Migration; Publication trends; Women.

Fig. 1

Year wise publication trend concerning migration and women's health.

Fig. 2

Distribution of corresponding authorship in publications related to Migration and Women's Health Research by Country.

Fig. 3

Map illustrating collaboration among countries, where red lines signify the network of collaboration among nations (a), network visualization, each country is represented by a node, with the color indicating the country's cluster. Lines connecting the nodes represent the links between countries, with the distance between two nodes indicating the intensity of their collaborative efforts (b). (For interpretation of the references to color in this figure legend, the reader is referred to the web version of this article.)

Fig. 4

Organizations/ affiliations with highest number of publications in the field of migration and women's health.

Fig. 5

Most relevant authors who have made scientific contribution in the research area of migration and women's health.

Fig. 6

Article production of authors over time in the field of migration and women's health.

Fig. 7

Network visualization, each keyword is represented by a node, with the color indicating the keyword cluster. Lines connecting the nodes represent the links between keywords, with the distance between two nodes indicating the intensity of their connections.