Self-Care among Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus and Nursing Care in Sri Lanka: Review of Literature

Abstract

Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM) is a chronic condition with long term psychological and behavioural implications. Self-care is the cornerstone to adapt into this condition. Sociocultural appropriate self-care practices are vital aspects in nursing care. The article reviews literature on self-care among adolescents with T1DM considering sociocultural context and to discuss existing nursing care and its current issues within the Sri Lankan context. A systematic literature survey was conducted to review empirical studies from 2000 to 2014. Electronic databases PubMed and CINAHL were utilized. Personal interviews and relevant websites were accessed to explore existing nursing care and its current issues in Sri Lanka. PubMed displayed 1,065 articles for the key words ‘nursing’ and ‘Type 1 diabetes’ while CINAHL displayed 31 articles for the same. ‘Perceptions’, ‘associated characteristics’, ‘school behaviour’ and ‘family behaviour’ were identified as main categories in the literature. The nursing oriented articles relevant to self-care’, ‘sociocultural’, ‘Sri Lanka’ and ‘Type 1 diabetes’ were insufficient in number. Scientific studies pertaining to the field need to optimized. The unavailability of specialized nurse educators for childhood diabetes is a noticeable issue. The implementation of effective nursing interventions considering Sri Lankan sociocultural context is recommended.