A bibliometric analysis on the behavioral outcomes of environmental factors in children with autism
Otizmli çocuklarda çevresel faktörlerin davranışsal sonuçları üzerine bibliyometrik bir inceleme
Objective: This study aims to examine the effect of environmental factors on the behavior of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) using bibliometric methods based on trends in the literature, prominent authors, and research intensity.
Method: This study was designed and conducted as a bibliometric analysis of studies published between 2015 and 2025 in the Web of Science (WoS) database, focusing on the effects of environmental exposures on the behavior of children with autism. Data were retrieved on May 10, 2025, using the keywords (“autism” OR “autistic children” OR “ASD”) AND (“environmental exposure” OR “pollution” OR “toxicants”) AND (“behavior” OR “neurodevelopment”), with the “topic” search option selected. Open-access, English-language original research articles were included, resulting in a total of 70 publications analyzed in the study.
Findings: The findings indicate an overall increasing trend in the number of publications between 2015 and 2025, with the highest proportion observed in 2024 (17.14%). The year with the highest average annual citation rate was identified as 2017. In terms of journal distribution, Environmental Research was the leading journal. Regarding country contributions, the United States ranked first. The most highly cited studies emphasize the effects of environmental air pollution and chemical exposures on the behavioral characteristics of children with ASD.
Conclusion: The findings reveal that environmental risk factors play a significant role in shaping children's behavior and that nursing practices in this area are critical in terms of care, counseling, and supportive interventions. The study emphasizes the need to expand future research to include different environmental and socioeconomic contexts and sheds light on policy development and education programs in the field of nursing.
Amaç: Bu çalışma, çevresel faktörlerin Otizm spektrum bozukluğu (OSB) olan çocukların davranışlarındaki etkisini literatürdeki eğilimler, öne çıkan yazarlar ve araştırma yoğunluğu üzerinden bibliyometrik yöntemle incelemeyi amaçlamaktadır.
Yöntem: Çalışma 2015-2025 yıllarında Web of Science (WoS) veri tabanında yayımlanan, otizmli çocuklarda çevresel etkenlere maruziyetin davranışlarına etkisi ile ilgili çalışmaların bibliyometrik analiz yöntemiyle tasarlanmış ve yürütülmüştür. Verilere 10.05.2025 tarihinde, (“autism” OR “autistic children” OR “ASD”) AND (“environmental exposure” OR “pollution” OR “toxicants”) AND (“behavior” OR “neurodevelopment”) anahtar kelimeleri kullanılarak, “başlık (topic)” seçeneği tercih edilerek ulaşılmıştır. Doküman türü olarak açık erişimli, dili ingilizce olan orijinal araştırma makaleleri seçilmiş olup çalışma kapsamında 70 makale değerlendirilmiştir.
Bulgular: Bulgular, 2015–2025 yılları arasında yayın sayısında genel olarak artış eğilimi olduğunu ve en yüksek oranın 2024 yılında (%17.14) gerçekleştiğini göstermektedir. Yıllık ortalama atıf sayısının en yüksek olduğu yılın ise 2017 olduğu belirlenmiştir. Dergi dağılımı incelendiğinde, en fazla yayının Environmental Research dergisinde olduğu görülmüştür. Ülke katkıları açısından ise en fazla yayının Amerika Birleşik Devletleri’ne ait olduğu saptanmıştır. En çok atıf alan çalışmaların ise çevresel hava kirliliği ve kimyasal maruziyetlerin OSB’li çocukların davranışsal özellikleri üzerindeki etkilerini vurgulamaktadır.
Sonuç: Bulgular, çevresel risk faktörlerinin çocukların davranışlarını şekillendirmede önemli bir rol oynadığını ve bu alandaki hemşirelik uygulamalarının, bakım, danışmanlık ve destekleyici müdahaleler açısından kritik olduğunu ortaya koymaktadır. Çalışma, gelecekteki araştırmaların farklı çevresel ve sosyoekonomik bağlamları kapsayacak şekilde genişletilmesi gerektiğini vurgulamakta ve hemşirelik alanında politika geliştirme ve eğitim programlarına ışık tutmaktadır.
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Makale Bilgileri
- Makale Türü Araştırma Makalesi
- Gönderildi Aralık 12, 2025
- Kabul Edildi Nisan 1, 2026
- Yayınlanmış Nisan 30, 2026
- Sayı Cilt 6 Sayı 1 (2026)
- Bölüm Araştırma Makalesi