Partner violence in healthcare settings on breastfeeding mothers: a scientometric analysis

Background Partner violence is a significant issue affecting women’s health, particularly their breastfeeding practices in healthcare settings. Despite a considerable body of research on this topic, there is a need for a systematic overview of the existing literature to explore its thematic and structural developments. Methods This scientometric analysis covers a period of 45 years (1977-2022) and identifies 415 peer-reviewed articles published in English before 2023 from the Scopus database. The articles were included if they engaged with themes related to partner violence, healthcare settings, breastfeeding, and mothers, using predefined search terms and filters. Bibliometric data were decoded and visualized using VOSviewer and RStudio to analyze and visualize the scientific dialogue, trends, patterns, and networks in the literature regarding partner violence and its impact on breastfeeding mothers in healthcare settings. Results The study revealed a concentrated exploration of themes related to violence, healthcare provision, mental health, and women’s reproductive health. The co-occurrence network and thematic mapping illuminated seven pivotal clusters, revealing a complex narrative of interconnected research areas. Niche and emerging themes such as “Depression,” “HIV,” and “Covid-19” were identified, highlighting the evolving landscape of the research domain. Conclusions This analysis provides a panoramic overview of the existing literature, revealing intricate thematic structures and collaboration networks within the research on partner violence and breastfeeding mothers in healthcare settings. The study not only sheds light on the historical and current states of research but also pinpoints potential future directions, thereby assisting scholars and policymakers in navigating and prioritizing subsequent investigative endeavors.