Nursing Research on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals—A Bibliometric Analysis
Publication type
journal article
Publication date
April 7, 2025
Author(s)
Holmberg, Christopher
Ahlstrom, Linda
Language
English
Discipline(s)
Geographical area
Abstract
ABSTRACT
Aim
The aim of this study is to map nursing publications on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) in Web of Science, highlighting trends, key contributors, and central research themes to identify potential areas for future research.
Background
The globally‐spanning 2030 Agenda promotes sustainable development using research technology and scientific innovation. However, research data availability is a challenge. By conducting big data analyses, using all available nursing research literature indexed in the Web of Science database (Core Collection) pertaining to this field, aid in understanding and advancing this area.
Methods
This study adopts a cross‐sectional descriptive bibliometric study design.
Results
The search yielded 131 publications, comprising 116 articles (89%) and 15 review articles (11%). This can be compared to adjacent disciplines such as Internal General Medicine (
n
= 360), Nutrition/Dietetics (
n
= 171), and Paediatrics (
n
= 152). The leading countries in publication output were the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom. Among the included publications, only eight SDGs were addressed: SDG3 (Good Health and Well‐Being), SDG13 (Climate Action), SDG4 (Quality Education), SDG5 (Gender Equality), SDG6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), SDG16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions), SDG1 (No Poverty), and SDG9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure).
Conclusions
The findings indicate a scarcity of articles in nursing publications focusing on the SDGs, suggesting insufficient evidence of nursing's contributions to these goals—particularly beyond SDG3.
Implications
This study provides a comprehensive bibliometric review and analysis of existing nursing publications on the SDGs. The results offer valuable insights for future research areas related to the SDGs, particularly for nursing scholars, clinicians, managers, and policymakers concerned with the underrepresentation of nursing publications. To address this gap and advance both the SDGs and quality patient care, action plans should be developed to integrate the SDGs into daily nursing practice.
No Patient or Public Contribution. This study was a bibliometric analysis.
Part of
Journal of Advanced Nursing
Volume
81
Issue
12