Abstract
Objective
This review aimed to evaluate existing evidence of educational interventions targeted at parents and caregivers of children with type 1 diabetes (T1D) to improve diabetes management outcomes.
Methods
A general review was conducted with primary caregivers of children younger than 18 with T1D as the population of interest. Journal searches were performed using the CINAHL, EBSCO, PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct, and Google Scholar, databases for publications between 2017 and 2024, with full text in English.
Results
A total of 26 studies were included in the review. Nine of these studies focused on various educational interventions, both technology-based and non-technology-based. By contrast, 17 studies examined the impact of these interventions on caregiver outcomes, such as treatment adherence and glycemic control in children with T1D. So, the following research questions guided this review: (1) What is the effectiveness of diabetes education interventions on glycemic control in children with T1D? (2) How do caregiver knowledge and self-efficacy affect diabetes management outcomes?
Conclusions
Diabetes interventions highlight the vital role of empowering caregivers of children with T1D with knowledge, skills, and support to improve and enhance their adherence to treatment, knowledge, and self-efficacy that ultimately contribute to better glycemic control of children as reflected by their HbA1c levels. This review highlights the importance of diabetes education interventions for caregivers of children with T1D. The evidence indicates that such interventions can improve caregiver knowledge, self-efficacy, and glycemic control in children. However, variability in outcomes suggests that further research is needed to identify the most effective educational strategies.