Self-care management programme for older adults with diabetes: An integrative literature review

This paper summarizes evidence on effectiveness of diabetes self-care interventions for older adults with diabetes, and identifies factors influencing self-care behaviours. The search for articles published from 2002 to 2012 was done using electronic databases, namely, MEDLINE, CINAHL, Scopus, PsycINFO and PubMed. Search terms include diabetes, self-management, self-care, barriers and intervention. Out of 261 articles screened, 21 were selected for review. Findings revealed that interventions using concepts of self-efficacy, self-determination and proactive coping, and interventions incorporating information technology were effective in influencing diabetes self-care behaviours with improved health outcomes. Psychosocial factors influencing self-care include motivation, socioeconomic status, literacy, knowledge, social and health-care providers' support, and particularly for older adults, the key factors were their self-efficacy, motor skill and literacy in self-care activities. This review provides important insight for nurse practitioners to address psychosocial issues in developing self-care management programmes for older adults with diabetes.