Smoking in Irish journals: a content analysis 1960-1994.

This study was carried out to quantify the published research on smoking in Irish medical journals, to ascertain the type of research carried out and to identify the authors of that research. Five Irish medical journals published between 1960-94 were studied: The Irish Journal of Medical Science. The Journal of the Irish Medical Association/The Irish Medical Journal. The Journal of the Irish Colleges of Physicians and Surgeons and Forum. During the 35 years under study, 50 papers explicitly dealing, with smoking were published. Only two papers appeared in Forum. There was a decline in published papers in the eighties with a resurgence in the early nineties. Of the 50 papers a majority were observational and ten were editorials. Only one paper dealt with smoking cessation and one with preventive work. General practitioners were poorly represented as authors. One doctor (Prof. R. Mulcahy) published at least one paper on smoking in each quinquennium since 1960. This study underlines the relative insignificance of smoking as a topic for research in Ireland. A major sea change in attitude will be required if the government's targets for smoking cessation are to be realised, particularly if they are to be achieved by relying on the medical.