A scoping review of environmental health nursing research

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this scoping review was to determine the extent and focus of published environmental health nursing research.

Design and sample: The search was limited to peer reviewed, English-language environmental health nursing research with at least one nursing author, published between 1995 and 2015 in a nursing journal, and catalogued in CINAHL.

Results: Publication of the 548 identified articles occurred in 118 different nursing journals. Annual number of publications increased from nine articles in 1995 to 50 in 2013 and 2014. Most (63%) of the studies occurred in the Unnited States; the remaining studies took place in 33 other countries. Three primary focus areas were identified: disasters/disaster preparedness, occupational health, and the home environment. Other focus areas included environmental exposures, environmental risk perception, secondhand smoke, and environmental health education. The primary populations studied were nurses/nursing students (40%) and adults (26%). Most common research designs employed were cross-sectional (42%) and qualitative methods (20%).

Conclusions: Findings from this scoping review support a global expansion of published environmental health nursing research addressing a variety of environmental health topics. Additional studies are needed that use more complex research methods and address timely topics such as climate change and sustainability.

Keywords: environmental health; environmental health nursing research; public health nursing practice; scoping review.