Objective:

To assess the inclusion of minoritized individuals in headache research studies.

Background:

Inequities in healthcare research have been increasingly recognized, including disparities in racial and ethnic representation. Despite efforts to promote change and improvement, the extent of representation of different groups, particularly those belonging to minoritized populations, in headache research remains unclear. This study aims to investigate the representation of various race and ethnicity groups in research studies published in some of the top journals in headache medicine. 

Design/Methods:

We conducted a systematic review to analyze articles published in Headache, Cephalalgia and the Journal of Headache and Pain over a four-year period from January 2020 to December 2023. We assessed all original research articles for the inclusion of race and heritage demographics, percentage represented in the total study population, and any conclusions specific to ethnicity or race. We excluded case reports, animal studies, and review articles.

Results:

Across all three journals, a total of 65% of studies reported race and ethnicity in demographics. In aggregate of all studies, when race and/or ethnicity was listed, 65% of manuscripts reported data on Caucasian or white individuals, 52% of manuscripts included data on African American or Black individuals, 34% of manuscripts included data on Hispanic or Latino/Latinx participants, 31% of manuscripts reported data on Asian individuals, 13% of studies included data on Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander participants, 17% on Native American or American Indian participants, and 12% reported data on multiracial participants. Across the analyzed journals, minoritized groups were disproportionately underrepresented compared to their prevalence in the general population.

Conclusions:

This study illustrates the current state of race and ethnicity representation in headache research, highlighting important gaps. Addressing this inclusion and reporting disparities is critical for advancing equitable healthcare practices and ensuring that research findings are applicable and beneficial to diverse populations.