Background: Nursing and Midwifery Studies (NMS) (eISSN: 2322-1674) has published 483 articles between 2012 and 2024, all indexed in the Web of Science (WoS), with 219 articles (2019-2024) also indexed in Scopus. Objectives: This bibliometric study aimed to map the journal's intellectual structure, publication trends, citation patterns, altmetric impact, and thematic evolution over time. Methods: This applied scientometric investigation retrieved bibliographic, citation, and altmetric data for 483 NMS articles from WoS, Scopus (219 articles), and ResearchGate. Author names and institutional affiliations were standardized prior to analysis. Performance analysis (including publication output, citation impact, and usage metrics) and science mapping (keyword co-occurrence, and author, institution, and country collaboration networks) were performed using VOSviewer. A total of 2,065 raw author keywords were consolidated into 981 unified terms and subsequently clustered into five major thematic groups. Results: Original research articles accounted for 86% of publications. The mean citation count per cited article was 8.4 in WoS (79.3% cited; maximum 81 citations), 4.2 in Scopus (73.51%; maximum 48), and 15.45 in ResearchGate (81.57% indexed; average reads: 683.26; maximum 55,429). Thematic clustering revealed five dominant research areas: nurses' mental health (stress: 40 occurrences; burnout; COVID-19), chronic disease management (quality of life: 38; anxiety: 37), maternal and women's health (pregnancy, midwifery), nursing education (students: 40), and patient care. Kashan University of Medical Sciences emerged as the most productive institution, contributing 134 articles and engaging in collaborations spanning 37 countries. Conclusion: This analysis highlights the evolving scientific landscape of NMS, emphasizing its strong potential for continued growth in high-impact areas such as mental health and COVID-19 research. Strengthening international collaborations, organizing thematic special issues, and enhancing altmetric engagement are recommended strategies to advance the journal's visibility and trajectory toward Q1 ranking.
Background: The high prevalence of health risk behaviors among adolescents remains a major public health concern, leading to significant long-term consequences for individuals and society. Life skills education is recognized as an effective strategy to equip adolescents with the competencies required to make informed and healthy life decisions.Objectives: This systematic review aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of community-based life skills education in preventing risky health behaviors among adolescents.Methods: A systematic literature review was conducted in accordance with the 2020 Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Comprehensive searches were performed in Scopus, PubMed, ProQuest, EBSCO, and Google Scholar using the keywords “adolescent,” “teen,” “youth,” “health risk behaviors,” “sexual behavior,” “substance abuse,” “Human Immunodeficiency Virus,” “tobacco dependence,” “youth empowerment,” “life skills education,” and “community,” combined with the Boolean operators “AND” and “OR.” Eligible studies included adolescents aged 10–24 years, community-based life skills interventions, and outcomes related to sexual behavior, substance abuse, and HIV/AIDS prevention. Randomized controlled trials, quasi-experimental, and observational studies published in English between 2014 and 2024 were included. Two independent reviewers assessed methodological quality using the JBI critical appraisal tool. Of 1,107 identified records, 17 studies met the inclusion criteria.Results: Multicomponent interventions integrating life skills training, social empowerment, family support, and economic incentives were effective in improving knowledge, attitudes, and self-efficacy while reducing engagement in risky behaviors. Variations in outcomes were influenced by social context, implementation fidelity, and program design.Conclusion: Community-based life skills education is an effective approach for promoting healthy behaviors and reducing risk among adolescents, although its impact may be limited in high-risk or socially disadvantaged groups.
Dear Editor Leukemia profoundly affects not only the diagnosed child but also the entire family. Siblings of children with leukemia are often referred to as “silent survivors.” During a health crisis, these siblings are frequently marginalized and experience consequences that extend beyond psychological challenges such as anxiety, depression, and guilt. These effects also influence their social interactions, academic performance, and personal identity development. Unfortunately, the psychosocial needs of siblings are often overlooked in many treatment and care strategies.[1]ChallengesChildren with siblings affected by leukemia face numerous challenges, particularly when treatment is prolonged. These difficulties include reduced parental attention, disruption of family routines, increased responsibilities at home, and the emotional strain of concern for their ill sibling. Additionally, they experience a range of emotions, including jealousy, guilt, anger, and feelings of neglect, which may adversely affect their psychosocial development. The absence of dedicated psychological support and insufficient parental guidance on addressing the emotional needs of healthy children further exacerbate these challenges. Consequently, many siblings experience lower academic performance, fewer social interactions, and difficulties in forming their own identities.[2]Potential SolutionsAddressing the psychosocial challenges faced by siblings of children with leukemia requires a comprehensive, evidence-based, interdisciplinary approach involving coordinated collaboration among nurses, psychologists, physicians, school counselors, and parents. The first step is the early identification of psychological and behavioral issues in siblings through thorough psychosocial assessments conducted by nurses and therapists specializing in family dynamics. Incorporating standardized screening tools into routine care is essential for monitoring anxiety, depression, posttraumatic stress, and evaluating the quality of family interactions. Following identification, comprehensive intervention programs should be developed and implemented to enhance resilience, strengthen coping strategies, and foster emotional security for healthy siblings.[3]These programs should include individual and group therapy sessions to help siblings process emotions, acknowledge unspoken grief, boost self-esteem, and acquire stress management skills. Educational interventions for parents should emphasize emotional awareness, stress management, equitable attention among children, prevention of neglect toward healthy siblings, and improved family communication.[4]Integrating psychosocial support into nursing practice is also critical, which requires training nurses to provide meaningful emotional support to healthy family members during hospitalization, ongoing treatment, or critical emergencies. Collaboration with schools and counselors ensures academic and social support, prevents educational setbacks, and provides a safe space for siblings to express psychological concerns.[4]Developing interdisciplinary clinical protocols that encompass comprehensive family-centered care is vital. These protocols should recognize psychosocial support for healthy siblings as an integral component of the overall treatment plan. Establishing dedicated psychosocial support units within pediatric oncology centers, staffed by specialists in child and family mental health, would significantly strengthen these efforts. Additionally, community-based initiatives such as sibling peer support groups, partnerships with non-profit organizations, and public awareness campaigns highlighting the family impact of leukemia can enhance social resilience and reduce stigma.[5]ConclusionSiblings often experience anxiety, guilt, isolation, and profound emotional distress in silence. The psychosocial consequences of these experiences can exert long-term effects on their emotional development, mental health, and family dynamics. Therefore, it is essential for healthcare providers, institutions, parents, and policymakers to acknowledge the importance of comprehensive psychosocial support that extends beyond the patient to encompass the entire family, with particular attention to the unique needs of siblings. The primary purpose of this letter is to raise awareness and advocate for the integration of family-centered psychosocial care into both clinical practice and healthcare policy.
Background: Pregnancy is commonly accompanied by sleep disturbances, which can adversely affect both maternal and fetal health. Although a variety of interventions have been proposed, there is no consensus regarding the most effective approach.Objectives: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions designed to improve sleep quality and reduce insomnia during pregnancy.Methods: A comprehensive search of PubMed, MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, and CENTRAL databases was performed for studies published between January 2000 and March 2025. Only randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving pregnant women aged 10–49 years were included. Study selection adhered to PICOS criteria, focusing on interventions targeting sleep quality or insomnia outcomes. Data were pooled using a random-effects model in STATA, and effect sizes were calculated as standardized mean differences (SMD) with 95% confidence intervals (CI), assessing both efficacy and heterogeneity.Results: Eleven RCTs, encompassing a total of 1,176 participants, met the inclusion criteria. Pooled analysis demonstrated that sleep interventions significantly improved sleep quality compared with controls (SMD=–0.81; 95% CI=–1.09 to –0.52; P<0.001). Among the various interventions evaluated -including complementary medicine, water-based exercise, aerobic exercise, cognitive behavioral therapy, and acupuncture- sleep health behavior education showed the most pronounced and sustained improvement, particularly evident at two months post-intervention.Conclusion: Sleep health behavior education appears to be the most effective and durable intervention for enhancing sleep quality during pregnancy. While other approaches, such as acupuncture, cognitive behavioral therapy, and exercise, produced benefits, their long-term effects were inconsistent. These findings support the integration of structured behavioral sleep education into prenatal care as a cost-effective, accessible, and sustainable strategy to improve maternal sleep health.
Background: Effective self-management is crucial for pregnant women at risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). The Self-Management Behavior Scale, designed to evaluate health behaviors in chronic conditions, is a key tool for this assessment. Objectives: This study aimed to develop and validate a self-management behavior scale tailored for pregnant women at risk of GDM. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 225 pregnant women identified as at-risk and receiving antenatal care at Vajira Hospital and Bangkok Metropolitan Administration hospitals. Participants were selected using a stratified sampling strategy. Participants were classified as "at-risk" based on GDM criteria and underwent the Glucose Challenge Test between 24-28 weeks of gestation (from the Maternal and Child Health Record Book, 2023). Self-management behaviors were assessed using an 18-item questionnaire. Inclusion criteria comprised at-risk pregnant women who provided informed consent, whereas those with severe cognitive impairments were excluded. Structural validity was evaluated via confirmatory factor analysis using Mplus software. Reliability was assessed using Cronbach's alpha, and construct reliability was examined through CR and H coefficients. Results: Participants had a mean age of 29.68 +/- 6.59years, mean gestational age of 25.5 weeks, and mean first-pregnancy blood glucose level of 136.95 mg/dL. The scale demonstrated excellent internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha=0.95). Second-order factor analysis supported construct validity. The model exhibited good fit indices: chi(2)/df=1.83 (P<0.001), CFI=0.959, TLI=0.950, SRMR=0.045, and RMSEA=0.061. Individual items showed factor loadings ranging from 0.37 to 0.94 (P<0.01), and second-order components had standardized loadings between 0.83 and 0.96, with "Setting Goals for Self-Management" exhibiting the highest loading (beta=0.964). The construct accounted for 81.7% of the variance and demonstrated a reliability coefficient of 0.957. Conclusion: The developed 18-item scale encompassing five dimensions is valid, reliable, and appropriate for assessing self-management behaviors among pregnant women at risk of GDM.
