RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Research has contributed significantly to tobacco control in high-income nations, but has not yet played a comparable role in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). In recent years, efforts have been devoted to building research capacity in LMICs. Using publication in Tobacco Control as a proxy for all tobacco control research, we examine whether research articles authored by scholars from LMICs and about LMIC issues have increased over the Journal's history. METHODS: We examined every issue of Tobacco Control from 1992 to 2011, coding contributions as to their authorship (LMIC, high-income country, or both), and whether they covered tobacco control issues in LMICs. We included all the following journal categories: Original/Research articles, Brief reports, Reviews, Letters to the editor, Special communications, Commentaries, and Editorials. RESULTS: We divided the Journal's first 20 years into four 5-year periods. There was no statistically significant change in LMIC authorship or LMIC issue coverage during the first three periods. From those three periods combined (1992-2006), to the most recent 5-year period (2007-2011), articles including any LMIC authors increased from 7.2% to 22.7% (p<0.05) of all original research articles; lead authorship by LMIC scholars increased from 4.0% to 13.7% (p<0.05); and coverage of LMIC issues rose from 10.1% to 30.9% (p<0.05). Similar findings resulted when combining all the journal categories. CONCLUSIONS: Efforts to expand research by LMIC authors and about LMIC issues have begun to bear fruit, with a recent substantial increase. Still, the centrality of LMICs in the global tobacco pandemic implies that this progress only begins to address the enormous need.