Family-centred educational interventions for the management of type 1 diabetes in children under eight years: a systematic review and narrative synthesis of evidence

The purpose of this systematic literature review was to explore studies that reported educational programmes targeted to the specific needs and concerns of families with children below eight years diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. The CINAHL, MEDLINE, APA PsycINFO, and Google Scholar electronic databases were searched to identify studies that reported educational interventions for children and their parents in managing type 1 diabetes. Studies published between January 2010 and December 2024 were screened and appraised using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guideline, and the synthesis was interpreted through the framework of family systems theory. A total of 11 studies that satisfied the inclusion criteria were included in the review, only one of which focused solely on children under the age of eight. The narrative synthesis yielded three major themes: family-centred education relevant to children's needs, the effectiveness of family-centred education in improving clinical outcomes, and barriers to implementing family-centred educational interventions. Family-centred education is an effective way of managing type 1 diabetes among children under 8 years, minimising complications, and reducing hospitalisation. Grounding these findings in family system theory highlights the importance of strengthening family dynamics and shared responsibility in diabetes care. The barriers to implementing the educational structure outlined in the current literature present opportunities for future study into cost-effective, age-specific, family-centred education for type 1 diabetes care. The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40200-025-01794-3. [Abstract copyright: © Crown 2025.]