Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 28, 2026
Acupoint Application Combined with Acupoint Massage for Treating Constipation in a Patient with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Published on: August 18, 2023
Nursing interventions for pediatric functional constipation: a systematic review of evidence and clinical
Peiman Prandeh Afshar1, Belal Mahmoud AlWadi2, Fatemeh Dehghan3
1Student Research Committee, Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan, Iran.
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.
Related Concept Videos
01:30Irritable Bowel Syndrome III: Medical and Nursing Management
01:29Nursing Interventions II: Selecting and Classifying the Nursing Interventions
01:21Drugs for Treatment of Constipation-Predominant IBS
01:03Nursing Interventions I: Taxonomy of Nursing Interventions
A nursing intervention is a treatment or action based on scientific concepts and knowledge from the nursing, behavioral, and physical sciences. Identifying and prioritizing nursing interventions based on the desired outcome is...
01:21Inflammatory Bowel Disease V: Surgical Management
Here are some common surgical interventions for IBD:
01:17Chronic Bowel Disorders: Introduction
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a common disorder affecting the gastrointestinal tract. The distinctive feature is recurrent abdominal pain associated with altered bowel movements, manifesting as constipation, diarrhea, or fluctuating between both. The...