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Open research questions in Health and Well-being Studies

67 unresolved questions extracted from the limitations and future-work sections of 1,633 Health and Well-being Studies papers in our library. Each links back to the study that raised it.

What the literature leaves open

  • While no studies have examined the reproductive pressure experienced by nurses, similar studies have been conducted with different groups. However, nurses’ reports of low levels of reproductive pressure may not reflect the true situation, as they may have underreported pressure owing to social stigma and concerns about professional image.

    DETERMINING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN REPRODUCTIVE PRESSURE AND SELF-ESTEEM IN NURSES · 2026 · DOI

  • While psychological comorbidities are well-documented in other gastrointestinal conditions, there is limited evidence directly investigating the impact of depression, anxiety, and quality of life (QoL) in patients with HD.

    Psychological burden of hemorrhoidal disease: Association with depression, anxiety, and quality of life impairment · 2026 · DOI

  • Future research should explore how various dimensions of academic performance − including grades and overall success − interact with mental health outcomes to elucidate potential causal pathways. Notably, the impact of preferred learning styles on academic achievement and self- regulation remains insufficiently understood.

    Exploring the relationship between mental health and metacognition among medical students: Implications for educational practice · 2026 · DOI

  • This study has several limitations that should be considered when interpreting the results. First, the Cronbach’s alpha values for some scales were relatively low, indicating limited internal consistency for certain questionnaires and potentially reduced reliability of the corresponding results. Second, the sample was not evenly distributed across key demographic characteristics: groups differed in terms of gender and whether students had repeated a study year, which may affect the generalizability of the findings. Third, participants were not asked about prior mental health history or recent stressors, which may have influenced their responses EXPLORING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MENTAL HEALTH AND METACOGNITIONAMONG MEDICAL STUDENTS... | and limits the ability to fully contextualize the results. Fourth, a key limitation is the temporal misalignment between situational metacognition measures and mental health assessments, making it difficult to draw conclusions about the relationship between these variables. Finally, the cross-sectional design prevents any causal inferences between variables. These limitations highlight the need for caution in interpreting the findings and underscore the importance of future research with larger, more balanced samples, more reliable measurement instruments, and inclusion of participants’ prior mental health and contextual stressors. Ethical approvals. The implementation of this study was approved by the Ethics Committees of Medical faculty University of Novi Sad. Participation was voluntary. All participants consented and were informed of the study’s objectives before accessing the questionnaire. Anonymity and confidentiality of data were guaranteed. | BOJANA PERIĆ-PRKOSOVAČKI, NINA BRKIĆ JOVANOVIĆ, KATARINA SUBOTIĆ and MINA BAROVIĆ REFERENCES & Akamatsu, D., Nakaya, M., & Koizumi, R. (2019). Effects of metacognitive strategies on the self-regulated learning process: The mediating effects of self-efficacy. Behavioral Sciences, 9(12), 128. DOI: 10.3390/bs9120128 & Anbesaw, T., Zenebe, Y., Necho, M., Gebresellassie, M., Segon, T., & Kebede, F. (2023). Prevalence of depression among students at Ethiopian universities and associated factors: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLOS ONE, 18(10), Article e0288597. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0288597 & Aşıcı, E., & Mesiar, R. (2020). New constructions of triangular norms and triangular conorms on an arbitrary bounded lattice. International Journal of General Systems, 49(2), 143–160. DOI: 10.1080/03081079.2020.1713550 & Ata, A. A., & Abdelwahid, A. E. (2019). Nursing students’ metacognitive thinking and goal orientation as predictors of academic motivation. American Journal of Nursing Research, 7(5), 793–801. & Auerbach, R.

    Exploring the relationship between mental health and metacognition among medical students: Implications for educational practice · 2026 · DOI

  • The majority of studies reported positive impacts of Islamic interventions in Muslim- majority settings, suggesting the potential for their broader application in other set- tings where religion is central to daily life. Nevertheless, future researchers should compare the involvement of Islamic principles in care for older people across differ- ent Muslim-majority countries and Muslim-minority communities worldwide. This can highlight variations and commonalities in practices and help identify culturally relevant care strategies. These results also illustrate how a healthcare provider should be considerate of the spiritual dimensions of care when addressing chronic conditions like hypertension. For Muslim older people, the integration of religious/Islamic practices into health treatment might increase adherence to health recommendations and improve the over- all outcomes. However, since the findings came primarily from quasi-experimental studies, further research is needed to explore these topics more comprehensively and provide stronger evidence. The existing research largely focuses on the perspectives of older people, with limited exploration of the views of healthcare providers (such as nurses) on incorporating spiritual dimensions of care when managing chronic con- ditions. Expanding the research to include diverse perspectives, especially those of healthcare providers from various cultural backgrounds, could significantly enhance the understanding of spiritual care when treating chronic conditions. Further research is also needed on other chronic conditions common in older people, such as arthri- tis, gout, osteoporosis, and kidney disease, with a focus on Islamic involvement or Islamic-based interventions. An insufficient number of robust studies have been conducted on the specific aspect of how Islamic tenets and practices affect older people’s health and well-being, espe- cially in caregiving settings. A critical aspect that remains under-researched is the unique experiences of those responsible for caring for older people while adhering to Islamic principles. These caregivers often face complex challenges, such as bal- ancing religious obligations, managing caregiving responsibilities, and coping with the emotional and physical burdens of their role. The stress they experience might be intensified by the demands of observing religious practices, such as maintaining the dignity of older people according to Islamic teachings, ensuring appropriate gen- der dynamics in caregiving, as well as following dietary and medical practices pre- scribed by Islam. Further exploration of these issues is essential to develop culturally sensitive support systems and strategies. Therefore, future research should provide insights into how Islamic principles shape caregiving experiences, the ultimate goal being to improve caregiver well-being and the overall quality of care for older people in Muslim communities. Since this systematic literature review only included studies published in English, it may have omitted relevant studies on Islamic contributions to the health of older people, particularly those in unpublished works or reports in other languages. Ageing International (2026) 51:31 3 Page 13 of 17 3 Consequently, the findings of this review might not fully capture the complete range of available evidence. Future systematic literature reviews should aim to include studies published in other languages, particularly Arabic and those commonly used in regions with significant Islamic populations, to capture a broader spectrum of evidence. Although the search was expanded to include studies published between 2010 and 2024 to capture the perspectives of Islam’s contributions to the physical and mental health of older people, relevant studies published before 2010 may have been unintentionally excluded. This limitation may result in an incomplete representation of foundational or earlier scholarly work on the research area. Future studies may benefit from a broader search strategy to ensure a more comprehensive understanding.

    Exploring the Contributions of Islamic Beliefs and Practices to the Physical and Mental Health of Older People: A Systematic Literature Review · 2026 · DOI

  • As for the limitations of this study, the first refers to the period in which the data were collected, from January to March 2021, a phase in which the COVID-19 pan- 20 Campos et al. Another limitation refers to the sample, which may not be representative of the Brazilian population of PGP professors.

    Anxiety, sleep quality and associated variables of Brazilian postgraduate professors in Dentistry during COVID-19 pandemic · 2026 · DOI

  • In view of the descriptive cross-sectional design and convenience- based recruitment of the present study, three concise recommendations directly supported by the findings are proposed: (i) integrate routine MENQOL-based symptom assessment into primary healthcare visits for midlife and postmenopausal women; (ii) develop culturally appropriate, Arabic-language educational resources that address the sexual, psychosocial, and lifestyle aspects of menopause; ARTICLE IN PRESS ARTICLE IN PRESS ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT and (iii) conduct longitudinal and population-based studies to clarify temporal relationships between reproductive timing, chronic disease, symptom burden, and quality of life, complemented by qualitative research exploring how cultural beliefs and gender norms shape menopausal experiences among Saudi women.

    Quality of life and associated factors among naturally postmenopausal women in Arar Saudi Arabia · 2026 · DOI

  • The study has several strengths, including the use of a culturally adapted Arabic version of the MENQOL with satisfactory internal consistency across all four domains, the inclusion of perception- related items that broaden the interpretive context, and the focus on a relatively understudied population in the Northern Border Region of Saudi Arabia. Several limitations should be acknowledged. The use of convenience sampling may have introduced selection bias and limited the generalizability of the findings beyond women attending the selected primary healthcare centres in Arar. The cross-sectional design precludes causal inference. Self-reported data may be subject to recall, reporting, and social desirability biases, particularly for sensitive issues such as sexual symptoms. A further methodological limitation is that the cut-points used to dichotomize MENQOL total and domain scores into “better” and “poorer” quality of life were data-driven and determined post hoc, because the MENQOL has no universally accepted clinical threshold. To address this limitation, MENQOL total and domain scores were also ARTICLE IN PRESS ARTICLE IN PRESS ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT analyzed as continuous variables in a sensitivity analysis, which yielded results consistent with the categorical analyses. Nevertheless, sample-specific cut-points may not be directly comparable with those derived in other populations and should be interpreted with caution. Finally, analyses of the sexual domain were restricted to participants with analyzable responses, which should be considered when interpreting findings within that domain.

    Quality of life and associated factors among naturally postmenopausal women in Arar Saudi Arabia · 2026 · DOI

  • Our survey indicated that a considerable number of students at the surveyed medical university were involved in drug abuse, with the majority of these students suffering from negative effects on their health and social lives. Students also admitted that drugs were offered to them at the university and confirmed seeing drugs being supplied on campus and in the hostel premises. Effective measures are needed to stop the sale and supply of drugs on the university campus and hostel premises. Proper rehabilitation of already addicted students is essential to help them become beneficial members of society and good future doctors. Measures should be implemented to identify and support students in need. In addition, timely screening and proper counseling by professionals can prevent many students from falling prey to drug addiction.

    ASSESSMENT OF SUBSTANCE USE RELATED EXPERIENCE OF MEDICAL STUDENTS IN A PUBLIC MEDICAL UNIVERSITY · 2024 · DOI

  • The studies on the prevalence of dementia, depression, and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in Greece are sparse and show major variations of prevalence depending on geographical areas, nutritional habits, and the way of living.

    Prevalence of Dementia, Depression, and Mild Cognitive Impairment in a Rural Area of the Island of Crete, Greece · 2017 · DOI

  • Previous studies on stress among female students have been conducted in various countries (USA, Canada, Turkey, Ghana) but the specific context of Saudi Arabian female undergraduate students at University of Dammam requires dedicated investigation.

    STRESS AMONG FEMALE UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS AT UNIVERSITY OF DAMMAM, SAUDI ARABIA (2012). · 2016 · DOI

  • Future longitudinal and intervention studies are warranted to establish temporal directionality and evaluate integrated sleep and social engagement programmes in Indonesian long-term care settings.

    Exploring the relationship between sleep quality and loneliness among older adults in Indonesian long-term care facilities · 2026 · DOI

  • Background Despite the prevalence of depression among rural older adults in Asia having been widely investigated, existing estimates remain highly inconsistent.

    Prevalence of depression among rural older adults in Asia: a meta-analysis of observational studies · 2026 · DOI

  • Future research could focus on which factors in peer interactions (such as similarity, trust, emotional support, etc. The effect of peer interaction on patients' quality of life has been preliminarily confirmed, but the specific mechanism still needs to be further explored.

    THE EFFECT OF NURSING QUALITY AND PEER INTERACTION ON LIFE QUALITY: LITERATURE REVIEW · 2024 · DOI

  • Purpose In spite of the vulnerability of prisoners to depression and their increased number, the issue has not been thoroughly investigated in Ethiopia.

    Factors associated with depression among prisoners in Mizan prison institute, southwest Ethiopia · 2021 · DOI

  • While there are numerous studies about health-seeking behavior, studies about the health-seeking behavior of students, especially Filipino nursing students are sparse, hence this choice experiment study.

    A choice experiment of the health-seeking behavior of a select group of Filipino nursing students · 2020 · DOI

  • The function of a blind person’s carer is usually performed by family members, whose limited knowledge limits their ability to help effectively and satisfactorily.

    Quality of life of blind people’s carers · 2020 · DOI

  • Research limitations/implications The major limitation was that the sample was obtained from student population; therefore, it will not be entirely correct to generalize it to the whole population of Pakistan.

    Psychometric development and validation of attitude rating scale towards women empowerment: across male and female university population in Pakistan · 2020 · DOI

  • However, the extent to which hassles or health complaints persist from day to day is underexplored, and studies examining whether hassles predict health complaints or vice versa, are lacking.

    Hassles predict physical health complaints in undergraduate students: a dynamic structural equation model analysis of daily diary data · 2020 · DOI

  • Abstract The research in the area of health sciences students’ sleep quality and mood disorders is lacking in Lithuania, as well as other European countries.

    Relations Among Poor Sleep, Anxiety and Depression Among the Students of Health Sciences · 2017 · DOI

  • The study of depressive symptoms in institutionalized elderly is scarce in Latin America and can contribute to plan prevention and treatment actions in order to improve health conditions for the residents as well as quality of life.

    Depressive Symptoms and Associated Factors in Institutionalized Elderly · 2016 · DOI

  • The excerpt indicates research on stress in female students across multiple geographic locations and populations, but lacks comprehensive investigation into contextual factors specific to the Saudi Arabian university environment.

    STRESS AMONG FEMALE UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS AT UNIVERSITY OF DAMMAM, SAUDI ARABIA (2012). · 2016 · DOI

  • Previous research has not systemically distinguished between academic and personal sources of stress, and in particular has not explored the independent contribution that academic stressors make to medical student depression.

    Looking Beyond Personal Stressors: An Examination of How Academic Stressors Contribute to Depression in Australian Graduate Medical Students · 2014 · DOI

  • However, evidence of substantial variation in organization and availability of health-focused resources on college campuses has been documented and students' interest in health-related topics has not been thoroughly assessed.

    Stress, Sleep, Grief: Are College Students Receiving Information That Interests Them? · 2013

  • Further investigation of interpersonal problem-solving in relation to parasuicide and depression in older adults is required, perhaps using process measures of interpersonal problem solving to clarify the nature of the difficulties.

    Parasuicidal behaviour and interpersonal problem solving performance in older adults · 2002 · DOI

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67 open questions have been extracted from the limitations and future-work passages of 1,633 Health and Well-being Studies papers in our library. Each one below links back to the study that raised it, so you can read the original claim in context.

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