The present systematic review aimed to systematically examine the available evidence regarding the effects of spiritual and religious interventions on the psychological and spiritual outcomes and adjustment of mothers of preterm infants or infants hospitalized in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). This systematic review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, CINAHL, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar, Magiran, and the Scientific Information Database (SID) were searched without any date restrictions from inception to August 17, 2026. Eligible studies included randomized controlled trials, clinical trials, and quasi-experimental studies that examined the effects of spiritual or religious interventions among mothers of preterm infants or infants hospitalized in NICUs. Study identification, screening, and selection were performed independently by two researchers, and the methodological quality of the included studies was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) critical appraisal tools. The systematic review included 17 studies involving approximately 1070 mothers (533 in the intervention group and 537 in the control group) from a total of 1692 identified records. These comprised 14 randomized controlled trials or clinical trials and three quasi-experimental studies. The studies were conducted between 2014 and 2026, predominantly in Iran, with one study conducted in Turkey. The interventions included person-centered spiritual care, spiritual self-care education, theory-based spiritual care, spiritual intelligence education, prayer and Quran recitation, and culturally tailored spiritual programs based on Islamic beliefs and practices. Overall, the findings indicated that spiritual interventions were associated with reductions in anxiety, stress, psychological distress, and caregiver burden, as well as improvements in spiritual well-being, comfort, quality of life, hope, self-efficacy, mother–infant attachment, and post-traumatic growth. However, Variations in interventions and study characteristics limited direct comparisons and identification of the most effective approach. Spiritual interventions may offer a complementary, person-centered approach to nursing care. However, 16 of the 17 studies were conducted in Iran, limiting the generalizability of findings to other cultural and religious contexts.
A study was conducted on women’s attitudes towards cervical cancer early detection with regard to dispositional hope and religious health fatalism. The study used a cross-sectional design. A total of 1635 female volunteers aged 18 years and older residing in Türkiye were included in the study, yielding a response rate of 95.6
The growing integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into medical and health-professions education offers opportunities for personalized learning, access to information, and cognitive support, while raising concerns about cognitive offloading and the potential displacement of critical thinking and independent judgment. This article presents a conceptual and normative theological-ethical analysis of the responsible integration of AI into health-professions education. It draws on a focused, critical, and integrative review of empirical and theoretical scholarship on AI, cognitive offloading, critical thinking, clinical reasoning, self-regulated learning, and human–AI interaction. The literature is analyzed using the See–Judge–Act method: the See phase identifies contemporary educational tensions associated with AI; the Judge phase evaluates these tensions through Catholic theological anthropology; and the Act phase develops a normative educational framework. The theological analysis draws particularly on Antiqua et Nova, Quo vadis, humanitas?, and Magnifica humanitas, which, respectively, illuminate the distinction between artificial and human intelligence, the embodied, relational, and situated character of human intelligence, and human primacy amid technological development. The analysis results in a human-centered, human-in-the-loop framework in which AI functions as cognitive support while learners retain responsibility for reasoning, judgment, reflection, and decision-making. The framework translates these principles into implications for curriculum, pedagogy, assessment, clinical simulation, AI literacy, and professional formation. As a conceptually derived framework, it has not yet been empirically validated and should therefore be understood as a normative and theoretically grounded proposition for subsequent empirical testing. The article contributes a theological-ethical model for integrating AI in health-professions education while preserving human intelligence, critical formation, and professional responsibility as central aims of education.
The study examines whether religion influences ideal fertility at the country level. While global fertility rates have declined due to educational and economic development, technological change, and improved health care, ideal fertility—reflecting individual preferences—remains an important indicator of societal fertility norms. In particular, religious traditions and beliefs, which shape gender roles and family formation, may play important role in shaping these ideals. Using cross-sectional aggregate-level data on 123 countries from the Gallup World Poll, Pew Research Center, Economic Intelligence Units, Legatum Institute Foundation and World Inequality Database, this study analyzes the relationship between national religious traditions, levels of religiosity, and ideal fertility. The findings show that religiosity and religious composition remain associated with ideal number of children at the national level regardless of economic factors. Additionally, Muslim-majority countries have higher ideal fertility compared to Christian-majority countries. We also find that religiosity is positively associated with ideal fertility for both men and women, with largely parallel slopes, indicating similar responsiveness to religious context across genders. Overall, findings highlight the importance of considering religious cultural contexts in fertility-related research, policymaking, and family planning programs.
