Nursing interventions for health education of incarcerated women: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the effectiveness of nursing interventions for health education of incarcerated women.

METHODS

This systematic review followed PRISMA guidelines. Searches were conducted in October 2025 across MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, BVS/LILACS, and CINAHL databases. Risk of bias was assessed using the ROBINS-I and Cochrane RoB 2 tools.

RESULTS

Eight studies were included, comprising seven quasi-experimental and one randomized controlled trial. Interventions addressed cervical cancer prevention, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), reproductive planning, and the promotion of healthy behaviors. Overall, the interventions were associated with improvements in health knowledge outcomes (cervical cancer and screening), behavioral outcomes (increased condom use and reduced sexual risk behaviors), reproductive outcomes (expanded use of contraceptive methods), as well as improved access to health services and reduced barriers to care. Regarding risk of bias, two quasi-experimental studies were classified as presenting critical risk of bias and five as presenting serious risk of bias, while the randomized controlled trial presented a high overall risk of bias.

CONCLUSIONS

Although the included studies presented serious to critical risks of bias, educational interventions showed potential to improve multiple health outcomes among incarcerated women and may represent a relevant strategy for health promotion in prison settings.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Nurse-led interventions should extend beyond the transmission of technical information by incorporating interactive and context-sensitive strategies aimed at overcoming institutional barriers and promoting autonomy among incarcerated women.