A stepped wedge cluster randomized trial to evaluate the effectiveness of a community leader-driven kit-based diabetes self-management education approach in improving diabetes control and care: study protocol for the DElhi Diabetes INTervention Trial (DEDINTT)

Self-management needs, strategies and support for individuals with sickle cell disease in developing countries: a scoping review

INTRODUCTION

Sickle cell disease (SCD) poses a significant global health burden, particularly affecting individuals in developing countries with constrained healthcare resources. While research on self-management in the context of SCD is emerging, it has predominantly focused on primary studies. The aim of the scoping review was to identify and map self-management needs of individuals living with SCD, the strategies they employed to meet those needs, and the support interventions available to them.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

The review was conducted following the Askey and O'Malley's framework to examine the landscape of SCD self-management research. Searches were conducted in PubMed, Scopus, Embase and Dimensions AI, with additional searches in other databases from inception to June 2024 included. Evidence from 14 studies was synthesised to identify self-management needs, strategies and interventions for individuals with SCD.

RESULTS

The review identified diverse self-management needs among individuals with SCD, including knowledge deficits, emotional challenges, physical limitations and barriers to healthcare access. Various self-management strategies were reported, such as nutritional management, psychological coping techniques and proactive healthcare management. Self-management interventions, predominantly delivered by healthcare professionals, focused on providing education, skills training and support to individuals with SCD. The outcomes of self-management interventions consistently demonstrated significant improvements across various dimensions, including self-efficacy, knowledge enhancement, self-care practices and psychological well-being among individuals with SCD.

CONCLUSION

This scoping review underscores the importance of addressing the diverse self-management needs of individuals with SCD through tailored interventions and support systems to enhance overall well-being and disease management. Healthcare professionals should prioritise the implementation of multidisciplinary self-management interventions that encompass medical, emotional and social aspects of care to effectively support individuals with SCD in managing their condition. Future research should focus on longitudinal studies to assess the long-term effectiveness of self-management interventions in improving patient outcomes.

A cross-sectional study on diabetes self-management practice and its association with glycemic control among type 2 Diabetes patients

Context

Diabetes has emerged as a major chronic public health problem throughout the world. Self-management by diabetes patients is very important for controlling blood sugar levels and preventing complications of diabetes.

Aims

The present study was conducted to study self-management practices among diabetes patients and to analyse socio-demographic factors associated with them.

Methods and Materials

A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted among 230 randomly selected diabetes patients in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The self-management practices were measured by the diabetes self-management questionnaire (DSMQ).

Statistical Analysis Used

The association of the DSMQ score with socio-demographic factors and blood sugar level was analysed by statistical tests like the T-test, analysis of variance (ANOVA) test, Tukey's honestly significant difference, and Chi-square test.

Results

The mean DSMQ score of the diabetes patients was 29.55 ± 5.98. There was a significant difference between the mean DSMQ score and the educational level (P value = 0.009), residential status (P value = 0.037), and duration of diabetes (P value = 0.006). The subcomponent analysis of the DSMQ score revealed that the glucose management score of rural people (9.38 ± 3.36) was significantly higher (P value = 0.006) than that of urban people (8.32 ± 2.46), and the diet control score was significantly higher (P value = 0.02) in patients with normal post-prandial blood sugar (PPBS) (7.64 ± 2.18) than in patients with raised PPBS (6.96 ± 2.12).

Conclusions

Higher educational level, rural background, and long duration of diabetes were associated with better self-management practices. The patients with normal blood sugar levels showed higher diet control scores than the patients with raised blood sugar levels.

Self-management needs, strategies and support for sickle cell disease in developing countries: a scoping review protocol

INTRODUCTION

Sickle cell disease (SCD) poses a significant global health burden, particularly affecting individuals in developing countries with constrained healthcare resources. While research on self-management in the context of SCD is emerging, it has predominantly focused on primary studies, and there is a notable dearth of evidence synthesis on SCD self-management in developing countries. This scoping review aims to identify and map self-management needs of individuals living with SCD, the strategies they employed to meet those needs, and the support systems available to them.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

The review will be conducted following the Arksey and O'Malley's (2005) 29 framework to comprehensively examine the landscape of SCD self-management research. Searches will be performed in PubMed, Scopus, Embase and Dimensions AI, with additional searches in other databases and grey literature. Indexed literature published in English from inception to January 2024 will be included. Reference list from included studies will also be searched manually. Two teams will be constituted to independently screen titles, abstracts and full text against the eligible criteria. Data will be extracted from included studies onto a customised data extraction form.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

Ethical approval is not required for this review due to the fact that it synthesises information from available publications. The findings will be disseminated through publication in a peer-reviewed journal. Also, the findings will possibly be presented at relevant international and national conferences. This protocol has already been registered with the Open Science Framework. The study characteristics such as design and setting will be descriptively analysed and presented as graphs, tables and figures. Thematic analysis will also be conducted based on the study objectives and presented as a narrative summary.