A systematic review of the Journal of the National Medical Association 1992.

An analysis of the articles published in 1992 in the Journal of the National Medical Association (JNMA) was performed to assess the content, statistical analysis, and the profile of its contributors. Seventy-six articles were reviewed. The majority of the articles focused on biomedical aspects of health; however, a significant proportion of the remaining articles contained information on the psychosocial aspects of health as it relates to people of African descent in the United States, Africa, and the Caribbean. Most of the literature was derived from physicians in university settings, with the contributions from traditionally black medical schools constituting nearly 30% of the articles. Analysis of data from contingency tables was the most common research method used. This study suggests that the JNMA is contributing to the mission of the National Medical Association. Reasons why authors who perform research with more rigorous scientific method do not publish in JNMA should be explored.