Nutrition: Health Databases

The CINAHL, MEDLINE, and PubMed databases are designed to be searched using the Subjects or MeSH when possible. 

Other databases, such as the Health Source: Nursing / Academic Edition [EBSCOhost], have Subjects, too, but their Subjects may not be quite as systematic about assigning them accurately. They may have fewer Subjects that are applied to larger groups of records.

Within the Limit/Refine options in CINAHL and MEDLINE, you will find these terms which you can combine with your subject to quickly focus your search results:

MEDLINE

• Infant, Newborn: birth - 1 month
• Infant: 1-23 months
• All infant: birth - 23 months
• Child: 6-12 years
• Adolescent: 13-18 years
• All Child: 0-18 years
• Young Adult: 19-24 years
• Adult: 19-44 years
• Middle Aged: 45-64 years
• Middle Aged + Aged: 45+year
• Aged: 65+ years
• Aged, 80 and over
• All Adult: 19+ years

CINAHL:

• as above, plus
• Fetus, Conception to Birth
• Child, Preschool: 2-5 years

E-mail Shelley Arvin directly for help! I check my e-mail frequently so you may e-mail me directly to ask for help. I may even respond on evenings and weekends. See my profile for my contact information.

In addition to the health/medical-specific databases listed elsewhere on this guide, these databases can expand your search into auxiliary areas. The databases cover all topics. Some have additional special features for organizing your information.