Therapeutic Nursing Education in Promoting Self-Management of Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus: Integrative Literature Review

Abstract

Diabetes Mellitus Type I (DM1) is an autoimmune disease, characterized by the total destruction of the beta (β) cells of the islets of Langerhans in the pancreas. This disease can strike people at any age, but it usually develops in children or young adults. Because of the high prevalence of DM1 in the young population, as well as all the difficulties in effective self-management in this population, with very specific characteristics, it is essential to develop therapeutic education interventions, with the aim of acquiring self-management skills. Thus, the main objective of this study is to identify the benefits of therapeutic nursing education interventions in promoting self-management of adolescents with DM1. For this, an Integrative Literature Review was carried out, using the EBSCOhost, PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science platforms. Six articles were eligible. In terms of results, benefits were identified in the health of adolescents, with the use of therapeutic education interventions by nurses, including the control of capillary glycemia, better acceptance of the pathology, improvement in body mass index, increased adherence to the therapeutic regime, a reduction in hospitalizations and complications, contribution to bio-psycho-social well-being and improvement quality of life.