Clinical Indicators Related to Nursing Diagnosis of Ineffective Health Maintenance Behaviors in Kidney Transplant Recipients: Systematic Review

PurposeTo identify clinical indicators related to ineffective health maintenance behaviors in kidney transplant recipients.MethodsSearches were conducted in 10 databases: PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, PsycINFO, Ovid, CINAHL, Virtual Health Library, Google Scholar, and thesis and dissertation databases.ResultsThe final sample comprised 21 studies, from which 15 clinical indicators related to the nursing diagnosis ineffective health maintenance behaviors in kidney transplant recipients were identified. Of these, nine are included in the NANDA-I 2024-2026 taxonomy, whereas six emerged from the analysis of the included studies. The most frequently reported indicators were failure to act to prevent health problems, sedentary behavior pattern, nonadherence to health activities, and inappropriate health behavior pattern.ConclusionThis systematic review identified clinical indicators potentially related to the nursing diagnosis ineffective health maintenance behaviors in kidney transplant recipients, including indicators not currently included in the NANDA-I taxonomy. These findings expand the available evidence regarding this nursing diagnosis in this population; however, they require confirmation through clinical validation and diagnostic accuracy studies.Implications for nursing practiceThe identified indicators may support nurses' clinical reasoning and facilitate a more comprehensive assessment of health maintenance behaviors in kidney transplant recipients. However, their application in clinical practice should be interpreted with caution until their diagnostic performance has been confirmed through validation studies.