Nurse‐Led Self‐Care Interventions for Chronic Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

BACKGROUND: Nurse-led self-care interventions represent a promising approach for chronic pain management. However, a comprehensive synthesis of their efficacy is lacking. AIMS: This systematic review and meta-analysis assessed the impact of the interventions on four key outcomes in chronic pain patients: pain intensity, quality of life, anxiety levels, and depression severity. METHODS: The study was conducted in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. An electronic search for relevant articles spanning from inception to November 2024 was carried out across multiple databases, including EMBASE, PubMed, CENTRAL, Web of Science (Core Collection), CINAHL, Scopus, and PsycINFO. The Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool was used to assess the quality of the included studies. The meta-analysis was conducted using Stata 18 and Review Manager 5.4, and a GRADE evidence profile was subsequently generated. RESULTS: The systematic review and meta-analysis involved 30 studies in total. The results of the data analysis indicated that the interventions alleviated pain intensity (SMD = -0.30, 95% CI: -0.41 to -0.20, Z = 5.57, p < 0.001). They also enhanced quality of life (SMD = 0.28, 95% CI: 0.14 to 0.42, Z = 3.83, p < 0.001), while reducing anxiety (SMD = -0.15, 95% CI: -0.29 to -0.01, Z = 2.11, p = 0.03) and depression symptoms (SMD = -0.27, 95% CI: -0.45 to -0.09, Z = 2.88, p = 0.004). LINKING EVIDENCE TO ACTION: This systematic review demonstrated that nurse-led self-care interventions benefit chronic pain patients. Future research should conduct more rigorous randomized controlled trials to strengthen the evidence base for using such interventions in chronic pain management.