A Comparative Review of Health Communication Research in West Africa and Other Sub-Saharan African Countries (2018–2022)

Health communication is a recent field of study, yet it is one of the most rapidly growing and developing subdisciplines within the field of communication. Research about health communication is instrumental in terms of bridging the gap between scientists and practitioners as well as informing health promotion and predicting behavioural and other outcomes.

Health communication is a recent field of study, yet it is one of the most rapidly growing and developing subdisciplines within the field of communication. Research about health communication is instrumental in terms of bridging the gap between scientists and practitioners as well as informing health promotion and predicting behavioural and other outcomes. A qualitative approach was employed, to conduct a meta-analysis of four major international health journals over a five-year period focusing on health topics, research methodology, and the theories used in sub-Saharan countries. In total, 125 articles were reviewed. The results indicate that few articles on these subjects were published in sub-Saharan countries over the five-year period. Furthermore, there was a greater concentration of research in some countries than in others. These results are important in terms of informing researchers about countries that have a deficit of research as well as the areas of research that are lacking.