Objective: The aim of this study is to describe a method to determine the subject of doctoral theses based on the evaluation of evidence-based researches.
Materials and Methods: The study universe consisted of 266 articles that were accessed by scanning electronic databases (CINAHL, MEDLINE Complete, Science Direct, ULAKBIM, Scopus, Science Citation Index, Social Sciences Citation Index, and Jstor Journal) and the PubMed database on 15 January 2017 via the internet network at Selçuk University. During the screening, key words such as “antenatal/prenatal care,” “systematic review,” “meta-analysis,” and “randomized controlled trial” were used. Systematic reviews with published in English and containing full text that were present in the international databases between January 2007 and January 2017 were included in the evaluation. From these articles, 20 studies were included in our research.
Results: Systematic reviews included in the study were grouped into “care models,” “mental health,” “maternal health,” and “weight management and exercise.” Regulation of perinatal monitoring of the content of care models; treatment of mental health problems of pregnant women, especially depression; and the prevention of maternal care are based on the decision-making mechanisms of the mother and the ability to manage the pre- and post-pregnancy period. Weight management and exercise include lifestyle changes, such as diet, calorie restriction, and physical activity.
Conclusion: As a result of focusing on an important societal problem and examining evidence-level studies in the field, the subject of the doctoral thesis was determined. It was decided that the focus would be placed on antenatal interventions in mental health, as it was recommended study pregnant women at risk.
Cite this article as: Kıyak S, Koçoğlu Tanyer D. Evaluation of Evidence-Based Studies as a Method for Determining the Subject of Doctoral Thesis Focused on Prenatal Care. Arc Health Sci Res 2020; 7(1): 104-15.