BACKGROUND:
In Japan, the number of graduate programs in midwifery and maternal nursing, as well as students obtaining midwifery licenses through graduate education, is increasing. As a result, midwifery-related research is expected to expand. Perinatal topics include: publicly funded childbirth, high-risk deliveries, midwifery education, advancements in clinical skills, postpartum care, and labor analgesia. This study provides an overview of recent research trends in these areas.

OBJECTIVES:
To clarify current research trends in midwifery and maternal health in Japan using text mining of article titles.

METHODS:
Eight Japanese journals in midwifery and nursing, with titles available online, were selected. Titles published between 2020 and 2025 were analyzed using KH Coder. Frequently used words were extracted, followed by co-occurrence network and hierarchical cluster analyses. Clusters were interpreted and thematized based on representative terms. Reliability and validity were ensured through researcher discussions.

RESULTS:
A total of 892 articles were analyzed, including 712 co-authored and 80 single-authored papers. Among them, 429 were original articles and 239 were research reports. The number of publications was lowest in 2020 (98 papers). The co-occurrence network was based on the top 50 relationships (minimum Jaccard coefficient = 0.095), resulting in seven subgraphs.

CONCLUSIONS:
Research trends over five years were categorized into seven main themes, such as studies on childbirth experiences, program development and evaluation, and care provided by midwives during labor. Studies on postpartum care and labor analgesia remain limited, indicating areas for future research.

KEY MESSAGE:
While midwifery research is growing in Japan, the accumulation of high-level, evidence-based studies is essential. Poster session 4 (Group B)