Peer-reviewed article
Planetary health in practice: A scoping review of education and training for nurses and midwives.
Sadia Afrin, Pascal Petit, Nicolas Vuillerme, Muhammad Asaduzzaman ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This scoping review examined seven studies on planetary health education and training programmes for nurses and midwives conducted between 2019 and 2026 across Australia, New Zealand, Spain, Turkey, and Uganda. The programmes used diverse approaches including online courses, curriculum validation, community-based education, and simulation training. While most studies showed improvements in healthcare workers' knowledge, attitudes, and some practice changes, few demonstrated direct benefits for maternal or child health outcomes.
Key points
- Five studies reported improvements in attitudes and satisfaction with planetary health education
- Three studies noted behavioral or practice changes among nurses and midwives
- Only two studies reported direct benefits through reduced household air pollution exposure affecting maternal and child health
- No study reported direct clinical outcomes for mothers or newborns
- Educational approaches varied widely from online courses to community-based biomass smoke education and simulation-based training
Limitations
This is a scoping review synthesizing heterogeneous study designs and interventions rather than a systematic evaluation of effectiveness. The review cannot determine which specific educational approaches are most effective for sustaining practice change or improving maternal and child health outcomes.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Planetary health is an emerging field of growing global importance. Environmental changes increasingly threaten maternal and child health, while nurses and midwives play central roles across care processes. Despite these opportunities, planetary health education and training in nursing and midwifery are underdeveloped and a mapping of current approaches is critically needed. OBJECTIVE: To map existing planetary health education and training initiatives for nurses and midwives and examine their reported educational and practice outcomes related to maternal and child health. METHODS: A scoping review was conducted following the Arksey and O'Malley framework Searches were conducted in Medline/PubMed, Scopus, and EMBASE for English-language studies published from 1 January 2015 to 31 January 2026. Eligible studies addressed planetary health education and/or training for nurses or midwives. We used a standardized form to extract data, and narrative synthesis was applied given the diversity of interventions and outcomes. RESULTS: Out of 258 records identified, seven studies published from 2019 to 2026 met the inclusion criteria. These were conducted in Australia(n = 1), Australia and New Zealand (n = 1), Spain (n = 1), Turkey (n = 2), and Uganda (n = 2). The evidence showed marked heterogeneity in study design, settings, and educational approaches. Study designs included two randomized controlled trials, one quasi-experimental study, one cross-sectional survey, two qualitative studies, and one implementation study. Educational approaches varied widely, from online courses and curriculum validation to community-based biomass smoke education and simulation-based training. Reported outcomes were grouped into five categories: knowledge, attitudes, confidence and self-efficacy, behavioral practice change, and clinical or system-level outcomes. Five studies reported improvements in attitude and satisfaction. Confidence and self-efficacy outcomes were infrequently reported. Behavioral or practice change was noted in three studies. Two studies reported direct maternal and child health benefits through reduced household air pollution exposure, but no study reported direct maternal or neonatal clinical outcomes. CONCLUSION: Evidence on planetary health education for nurses and midwives is emerging but remains limited. Current studies focus mainly on immediate educational outcomes rather than sustained practice change or patient-level impact. Future research should evaluate long-term competency development, clinical practice change, and measurable maternal, neonatal, and child health outcomes. REGISTRATION: OSF | Planetary Health Education and Training for Midwives and Nurses: A Scoping Review of Reported Educational and Practice Outcomes Related to Maternal and Child Health, registered 5/2/2026, https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/JU3GY. SOCIAL MEDIA ABSTRACT: Current planetary health education and interventions for nurses and midwives have improved knowledge, attitudes, and some practice-related behaviors but lack direct patient-level outcomes. @zamansohag08.