What factors can affect the management of diabetes with regard to studying at university? A systematic review

Abstract

The purpose of this review is to identify and synthesise literature about diabetes management, and specifically, the barriers that may affect university students' Type 2 diabetes management. A systematic literature search was conducted using five databases: CINAHL, Google Scholar, PsychINFO, PubMed and Summon. Eligible articles from January 2010 to February 2017 were included in the review. Articles identified by the search which met the inclusion criteria were screened prior to selection for synthesis. A total of 2,577 articles were screened, of which 72 were fully assessed for synthesis. Of these, 22 met the inclusion criteria as they provided useful insights into the issue and were deemed relevant to enable the research question to be answered. These were included in the review.This review found that individual and external characteristics play a significant role in diabetes management. Additionally, external stressors from university can lead to patients' non-adherence to medication regimens. The comprehensive review of the evidence in the current body of literature illustrates that a range of factors may affect university students' management of their Type 2 diabetes. Thus, it provides information that may inform how university well-being teams and policymakers support university students with Type 2 diabetes. Despite attempts being made to undertake a comprehensive search, certain aspects restricted this, such as there being only a single researcher. Nevertheless, this review is important as it identifies a gap in knowledge about Type 2 diabetes management among the university student population. Importantly, this research found that there is a need for more empirical work to be undertaken within the university population to examine external stressors that may affect students' diabetes management.