Investigators from the College of Nursing at Pusan National University in South Korea conducted a meta-analysis to examine the impact of non-pharmacological intervention in adolescents with type 1 diabetes. Studies that were published from 2017 to 2022 were gathered from PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, and Cochrane databases.
READ MORE: T2D Remission Through Weight Loss Linked With Lower Rates of Chronic Kidney, Cardiovascular Disease
A total of 30 studies were included in the meta-analysis, of which the majority were conducted in the US and Iran. Twenty of the studies reported a mean participant age of 10 to 14 years. A majority of the interventions were conducted in a hospital or outpatient clinic setting, with 17 having a duration of 6 months.
The interventions were classified into 3 types: cognitive and psychological, which included counseling, psychotherapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and motivational interviewing; self-care behavior management, which included eating habits, physical activity, blood glucose monitoring, medication, diabetes coping skills, and problem solving skills; and education, which included learning and quiz activity.
Investigators found that the non-pharmacological interventions were significantly effective at improving HbA1c, quality of life, anxiety, and blood glucose. Cognitive/psychological and self-care interventions had the highest impact on HbA1c levels, while self-care and education had the highest impact on blood glucose levels.
Self-care and education had the highest impact on levels of anxiety, while self-care, education, and cognitive/psychological interventions had the highest impact on quality of life. Additionally, subgroup analysis showed that the duration of interventions were not a covariate related to HbA1c levels.
Study limitations included that only studies conducted in English were included in the meta-analysis, a significant level of heterogeneity among included studies, and limited number of non-pharmacological interventions included in the subgroup analysis.
“Based on the results of this study, healthcare providers should consider a comprehensive approach that combines cognitive/psychological, self-care behavior management, and education interventions to address the challenges faced by adolescents with type 1 diabetes,” the authors wrote. “Policies should be established to promote non-pharmacological interventions across home, hospital, and school settings, ensuring seamless and privacy-preserving support for adolescents with type 1 diabetes.”
READ MORE: Diabetes Resource Center
References
1. DaeEun L, Haejung L, YoonYoung S, et al. Effectiveness of non-pharmacological interventions for adolescents with type 1 diabetes in the last five years: A systematic review and meta-analysis, Asian Nurs Res, 2024; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anr.2024.01.008
