The Trends and Hotspots of Research on Adolescent Pregnancy: A Bibliometric Analysis.

Abstract

This bibliometric study aims to contribute to the literature on adolescent pregnancy by exploring gaps, research trends, contributing countries and journals, collaboration networks, and subject themes, offering a macro perspective on the field's development and future directions. This study employed a bibliometric research methodology. Publications containing the keywords adolescent, adolescence, youth, teenager, puberty, juvenile, pregnancy, and pregnant were retrieved from the Web of Science (WoS) database (1980-April 24, 2024) and analyzed using VOSviewer and the open-source R bibliometric package, adhering to predefined inclusion/exclusion criteria. The concept of adolescent pregnancy has been studied annually from 1980 to the present, peaking in 2022. Key research topics include sexual and reproductive health, contraception, and depression. According to Lotka's Law, 84.7% of authors in this field have published only once. Recent studies have focused on birth weight and pregnancy risks. The most cited publication globally and locally is by Ganchimeg et al., while the Journal of Adolescent Health is the most productive platform. The United States, Brazil, the United Kingdom, South Africa, Canada, and Turkey are the most productive countries in this field. The results of this study highlight that adolescent pregnancy remains a global public health issue, as evidenced by its consistent presence in annual research. Key research gaps and trends include social and emotional challenges faced by pregnant adolescents, physical development and health during adolescent pregnancy, causes and prevalence trends, preventive education services, and psychosocial interventions. Further research is essential to develop effective interventions for preventing adolescent pregnancy and safeguarding the best interests of children.