Nursing interventions for pediatric functional constipation: a systematic review of evidence and clinical implications
6 affiliations
- 1Student Research Committee, Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan, Iran
- 2Department of Management and Entrepreneurship, Al-Zaytoonah University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan
- 3Arad Radman Brain Storming Co.LLC., Kerman, Iran
- 4HIV/STI Surveillance Research Center, and WHO Collaborating Center for HIV Surveillance, Institute for Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
- 5Reproductive and Family Health Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
- 6Razi Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Haft-Bagh Highway, Kerman, Iran
Abstract
Background: Functional constipation (FC) is one of the most common gastrointestinal disorders in children and may substantially affect physical well-being, emotional health, and quality of life. Nurses play an important role in providing behavioral support, education, and implementing supportive interventions; however, evidence regarding the effectiveness of nursing interventions in pediatric FC remains fragmented. This systematic review aimed to synthesize current evidence on nursing-led and nursing-integrated interventions for pediatric functional constipation and evaluate their clinical implications.
Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted across PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Medline, Embase, and other relevant databases to identify studies evaluating nursing-related interventions in children with FC. Nurse-led educational, behavioral, supportive, and complementary interventions were eligible. Risk of bias was assessed using study design-specific tools.
Results: Eleven studies involving approximately 65,500 children were included. Of these, 64,985 participants were enrolled in cohort, cross-sectional, and observational studies, whereas 530 participants were included in intervention-based studies (randomized controlled trials, clinical trials, and quasi-experimental studies). The evaluated interventions included nurse-led educational programs, structured bowel management strategies, abdominal massage, and technology-assisted approaches such as mobile applications and digital educational games. Overall, nursing-related interventions were associated with improvements in stool frequency, stool consistency, constipation symptoms, treatment adherence, self-management, and quality of life among children and their caregivers.
Conclusions: Nursing-led and nursing interventions appear to be valuable adjuncts in the management of pediatric functional constipation. However, the available evidence remains heterogeneous, and additional high-quality studies are needed to establish standardized approaches and determine long-term effectiveness.
Clinical trial number: Not applicable.
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BibTeX
@article{afshar2026nursing,
title = {{Nursing interventions for pediatric functional constipation: a systematic review of evidence and clinical implications}},
author = {Peiman Prandeh Afshar and Belal Mahmoud AlWadi and Fatemeh Dehghan and Mahlagha Dehghan},
journal = {BMC Nursing},
year = {2026},
month = jul,
doi = {10.1186/s12912-026-05154-1},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-026-05154-1},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Nursing interventions for pediatric functional constipation: a systematic review of evidence and clinical implications
AU - Peiman Prandeh Afshar
AU - Belal Mahmoud AlWadi
AU - Fatemeh Dehghan
AU - Mahlagha Dehghan
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/07/01
JO - BMC Nursing
DO - 10.1186/s12912-026-05154-1
UR - https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-026-05154-1
AB - Background: Functional constipation (FC) is one of the most common gastrointestinal disorders in children and may substantially affect physical well-being, emotional health, and quality of life. Nurses play an important role in providing behavioral support, education, and implementing supportive interventions; however, evidence regarding the effectiveness of nursing interventions in pediatric FC remains fragmented. This systematic review aimed to synthesize current evidence on nursing-led and nursing-integrated interventions for pediatric functional constipation and evaluate their clinical implications. Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted across PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Medline, Embase, and other relevant databases to identify studies evaluating nursing-related interventions in children with FC. Nurse-led educational, behavioral, supportive, and complementary interventions were eligible. Risk of bias was assessed using study design-specific tools. Results: Eleven studies involving approximately 65,500 children were included. Of these, 64,985 participants were enrolled in cohort, cross-sectional, and observational studies, whereas 530 participants were included in intervention-based studies (randomized controlled trials, clinical trials, and quasi-experimental studies). The evaluated interventions included nurse-led educational programs, structured bowel management strategies, abdominal massage, and technology-assisted approaches such as mobile applications and digital educational games. Overall, nursing-related interventions were associated with improvements in stool frequency, stool consistency, constipation symptoms, treatment adherence, self-management, and quality of life among children and their caregivers. Conclusions: Nursing-led and nursing interventions appear to be valuable adjuncts in the management of pediatric functional constipation. However, the available evidence remains heterogeneous, and additional high-quality studies are needed to establish standardized approaches and determine long-term effectiveness. Clinical trial number: Not applicable.
SN - 1472-6955
ER -