Seven categories of Kolcaba’s Comfort Theory application in healthcare (n=359)
| NO. | Category title | N | Year of publication | Country of origin | Settings | Design/methods |
| I | Interventions underpinned by Comfort Theory as the theoretical framework | 56 | 2018–2023: n=25, 1992–2017: n=31. | USA: n=24, China: n=20, Turkey: n=6, Portugal: n=3, Indonesia: n=2, Canada: n=1. | Hospital: n=45 Others: n=11 | Quasiexperimental study: n=29, RCT: n=18, MMS: n=9. |
| II | Interventions evaluated by instruments derived from Comfort Theory | 96 | 2018–2022: n=61, 1992–2017: n=35. | China: n=72, Turkey: n=16, Iran: n=4, USA: n=1, Australia: n=1, Thailand: n=1, Malaysia: n=1. | Hospital: n=93 Nursing home: n=2 School: n=1. | RCT: n=65, quasiexperimental study: n=29, MMS: n=1, CSS: n=1. |
| III | Descriptive or observational studies of services or practices underpinned by Comfort Theory | 34 | 2018–2023: n=15, 1992–2017: n=19. | USA: n=19, China: n=10, Pakistan: n=2, Brazil: n=1, Chile: n=1, Singapore: n=1. | Hospital: n=23 Others: n=2. | Case study: n=13, service description: n=10, CCS: n=6, quasiexperimental study: n=2, MMS: n=2, cohort study: n=1. |
| IV | Surveys using questionnaires derived from Comfort Theory | 71 | 2018–2023: n=29, 1992–2017: n=42. | China: n=29, USA: n=15, Turkey: n=12, Brazil: n=7, Korea: n=2, Austria+Germany: n=1, Colombia: n=1, Jordan: n=1, Iran: n=1, Israel: n=1, Thailand: n=1. | Hospital: n=56 Others: n=15. | CSS: n=51 (in which online survey: n=5), longitudinal study: n=16, MMS: n=3, cohort study: n=1. |
| V | Questionnaires development or adaption based on Comfort Theory | 34 | 2018–2023: n=15, 1992–2017: n=19. | China: n=12, Austria+Germany: n=4, Brazil: n=4, Portugal: n=4, Turkey: n=4, USA: n=3, Spain: n=2, Indonesia: n=1. | Hospital: n=28 Others: n=6. | Questionnaire development: n=15, questionnaire cross-cultural adaption: n=8, questionnaire psychometric test (reliability and validity): n=7, questionnaire revalidation in populations: n=2, questionnaire validation feasibility study: n=2. |
| VI | Qualitative studies interpreted by Comfort Theory | 21 | 2018–2023: n=13, 1992–2017: n=8. | Brazil: n=8, USA: n=4, Australia: n=1, Austria: n=1, China: n=1, Norway: n=1, Portugal: n=1, Sweden: n=1, Wales: n=1, Indonesia: n=1, Ecuador: n=1. | Hospital: n=14 Others: n=7. | Qualitative study: n=6, descriptive qualitative study: n=5, phenomenological study: n=3, reflective qualitative study: n=2, case study: n=2, explorative qualitative study: n=1, collective subject discourse: n=1. secondary qualitative analysis: n=1. |
| VII | Literature reviews and discussion about Comfort Theory use | 47 | 2018–2023: n=19, 1992–2017: n=27. | USA: n=18, China: n=11, Portugal: n=7, Brazil: n=5, Canada: n=2, Indonesia: n=1, Kazakhstan: n=1, Spain: n=1, Turkey: n=1. | N/A | Literature review: n=23 (which included: integrative review: n=4, concept analysis: n=3, systematic review: n=2, theory derivation method: n=1, scoping review: n=1, psychometric review: n=1), literature review and discussion paper: n=11, literature review and discussion as a book chapter: n=6, reflection: n=6, literature review and discussion as a slide presentation: n=1. |
CCS, case-controlled study; CSS, cross-sectional study; MMS, mixed methods study; N/A, not applicable; RCT, randomised controlled trial.