Background: Midwives provide essential maternal, neonatal, reproductive and sexual health care and save lives. In our country, in 2017, the job description of midwives was revised and approved by the Minister of Health in accordance with the core competencies established by the International Federation of Midwives by Order A/216. Therefore, it is necessary to study the extent to which midwives are performing the duties included in the revised job description. Aim: To assess of the professional role and performance of midwives in Mongolia five years after the updated midwifery job description was declared. Materials and Methods: There were 1119 midwives working at all levels of the facilities national wide, and 589 respondents were analyzed. Data were collected using a questionnaire, which was developed with input from an obstetrics and midwifery care advisory group, and was distributed online through Google Forms. We developed a questionnaire on the daily professional roles and performances of midwifery services and skills that were part of the job description of midwives in Mongolia. The questionnaire consisted of three parts and were scored based on a Likert scale. This study was approved by the research ethics committee of the School of Nursing (protocol №22/07-b), Mongolian National University of Medical Sciences (MNUMS), and Ministry of Health. Result: 62.3% of the participants had a bachelor’s degree, 34.3% had a professional degree, 93.5% worked as midwives at all levels of health care, 73.4% worked according to their job description, but 21.9% were unable to work according to their main duties; 56% considered that they faced some difficulties in performing their duties at work. Within the scope of maternity care services mentioned in the job description, 71.4% of them often provide monitoring and counseling to normal, low-risk pregnant women according to guidelines (mean 3.07± 0.96); childbirth and postpartum care are occasionally (mean 2.70±1.10) or not regularly provided; and the average ratings of reproductive health, family planning services, and emergency obstetric care interventions are 2.32±1.120 and 2.40±0.040, respectively. According to self-assessment of professional skills, the average score for the ability to provide care during pregnancy was 3.10±0.038, which is sufficient; the ability to provide care during childbirth and postpartum was 2.83±0.037, which is above average; and the ability to provide emergency obstetric care and reproductive health and family planning care was 2.77±0.84 and 2.57±0.890, which is moderate, respectively. Conclusion The education and professional level of midwives working at all levels of the health sector has improved. While midwives frequently provide the pregnancy care outlined in their job descriptions, they only occasionally perform duties related to childbirth, postpartum and reproductive health, family planning, and obstetric emergency care. According to their self-assessments, midwives demonstrate sufficient competence in teamwork and pregnancy care; above-average competence in childbirth and postpartum care; and moderate competence in obstetric emergency care, reproductive health, and family planning services.There is a need to improve the involvement of midwives in certain professional activities.

Background: Bone mineral density (BMD) is a key indicator reflecting bone strength and resistance to fracture. It is influenced by multiple factors, including age, sex, genetic background, body composition, nutrition, and physical activity. During young adulthood, peak bone mass is actively formed; therefore, identifying early variations in this period is essential for predicting future skeletal health risks. Accordingly, assessing BMD and evaluating its relationship with physical characteristics among first-year nursing students provides a scientific rationale for this study. Aim: To examine the relationship between bone mineral density and selected physical parameters among students. Materials and Methods: A total of 297 first-year students aged 17-35 years from the School of Nursing, Mongolian National University of Medical Sciences were included. Bone mineral density was assessed by measuring the speed of sound through the radius using an ultrasound bone densitometry device. Handgrip strength was measured using an electronic dynamometer. Physical parameters including age, sex, height, and body weight were measured using standardized procedures, and statistical analysis was performed. The study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of MNUMS on November 21, 2025 (No. 26/1) and March 28, 2026 (No. 26/03-B02), with no ethical violations identified. Results: According to T-scores, 37.1% (n=110) of participants had normal bone status and 62.9% (n=187) showed reduced bone density. Based on Z-scores, 52.5% (n=159) were normal, while 45.6% (n=138) had decreased values. T-score values were 1.87±0.69 (<20 years), 1.44±0.55 (20–30 years), and 1.10±0.31 (>30 years), while Z-score values were −0.73±1.38, −0.43±1.23, and −0.02±1.27, respectively. ANOVA analysis revealed statistically significant differences among age groups (p<0.01). A positive correlation was observed between T-score and age, whereas no significant correlations were found with other physical parameters. Z-score showed a positive correlation with handgrip strength. Conclusions 1. A high prevalence of reduced bone mineral density was observed among the students, which may be associated with incomplete attainment of peak bone mass in adolescents and young adults. 2. A significant difference in bone mineral density was found between age groups (p<0.01), indicating that age is an important factor influencing bone mineral density.