Parental Involvement in the Nutritional Management of Children with Type 1 Diabetes: A Review Article

Abstract

Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between parental nutritional knowledge and the glycemic control of children with Type 1 diabetes. Methods: The three electronic databases (PubMed, Scopus, and Science Direct) were searched with relevant keywords from January to June 2022 to identify published studies that examine the correlation between parents’ dietary knowledge and children’s glycemic control, focusing on HbA1c. The search included parents who care for a child with Type 1 diabetes. Results: Totally, 972 records existed in electronic search databases; after removing duplicates and irrelevant studies according to the title and abstract, the full text of the 25 articles was critically screened, in which 9 cross-sectional studies and 1 cohort study were included in this review. All these studies indicated that parents’ nutritional knowledge positively influences their children with Type 1 diabetes and their glycemic control of the disease. Conclusion: This review concluded that an increase in parent knowledge leads to better glycemic control in children with Type 1 diabetes. Clinical dietitians must assess parents knowledge in pediatrics with Type 1 diabetes in order to improve diabetes outcomes, reduce diabetes complications, and improve quality of life