Portrait of public health research in Quebec, 1999 to 2004.

This article presents the main findings of a descriptive study inventorying public health research in Quebec funded by provincial and federal government bodies between 1999 and 2004. The database was created specifically for this project from the Banque de la recherche sociale et en santé (Health and Social Research Databank) of the Quebec Ministry of Health and Social Services, using a frame of reference to demarcate and categorize research in public health. The results reveal that public health research projects accounted for 13.6% of all projects in the aforementioned database, and were mainly concentrated in the research categories Population Health and Wellness and their Determinants (Etat de santé et de bien-être de la population et ses déterminants) (59.9% of public health projects) and Social Development, Adjustment and Integration (Développement, adaptation et intégration sociale) (44.9% of public health projects). The provincial government funded a higher percentage of projects (59%), but with the exception of scholarships and fellowships, the federal government funded a higher dollar amount. Overall, funding allotted to research in public health was lower than that for other types of research in health and social sciences inventoried in the database. This first inventory of public health research in Quebec provides a means of estimating the volume of research devoted to this field and funding directed to it in comparison with other fields of research in health and social sciences. It also raises questions on the orientation, organization and funding of research in public health.