Road map for aging research in Arab countries: Where is the evidence for priority setting?

In the wake of health transitions, shifting demographics and rapid increase in number and share of the older persons in Arab countries, the need to align investments in health research and development (R&D) with old-age opportunities and challenges cannot be underestimated. We aim in this paper to describe the landscape of aging research in Arab countries, assess trends in quantity, quality, methods of study, themes, and co-authorship profile, and map them against demographic, economic and development indicators. A literature review from five academic databases for a period of two decades (1993-2013) was conducted. Findings indicate that aging research has increased seven-fold across the two decades, with middle-income countries showing the sharpest rise and highest impact of publishing. Literacy rates more strongly influenced research productivity than population aging indicators or government investment in R&D. Notably, collaboration with international co-authors (19.8%) was more frequent than with regional co-authors (3.9%) and had an enhanced bearing on the impact factor (IF) of the publishing journal (mean IFs 2.517 and 1.492, respectively). The majority of publications was disease-centered, descriptive in nature and relied mostly on cross-sectional study designs. In spite of the increasing regional instability, only a few focused on ‘seniors in emergencies,’ and there was a total lack of studies on ‘aging and economic growth’. While the broad determinants of population aging are better understood, the mechanisms through which health, well-being, and autonomy can be maintained and extended are less so, further underlining the need to improve monitoring and priority setting for health R&D.