Delivering Health Education to Children With Chronic Conditions: A Scoping Review and Evidence and Gap Map

Developmentally appropriate health education is essential for children with chronic conditions and their families to support self-management and improve quality of life. Although a range of educational approaches have been reported, no comprehensive review has examined how these interventions are developed, which approaches are most used, or their outcomes. Accessibility is also critical given diverse cognitive, communication and motor abilities within paediatric populations. This review aimed to map and synthesise evidence on health education interventions for children (5-12 years) with chronic conditions.

Studies reporting health education interventions for children (5-12 years) with chronic conditions were identified from MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, ERIC, Scopus and Cochrane Library. Data were extracted using predefined categories, including delivery approaches aligned with Saxby's (2020) framework for paediatric supported self-management. Participant (knowledge, behaviour change or health/symptom) and implementation outcomes were extracted. Findings were synthesised using an Evidence and Gap Map to identify strengths and gaps in delivery and implementation.

A total of 118 studies were included. Most interventions targeted endocrine/metabolic conditions and were delivered in hospital outpatient settings. Health professionals primarily facilitated education, though self-directed and digital facilitators are emerging. Delivery was mainly face-to-face, with increasing use of remote approaches. Over half of studies incorporated multiple recommended approaches: peer/cooperative learning (50%), story/play-based strategies (35%), caregiver involvement (27%), pictorial representation (25%) and active/experiential learning (14%). Most studies reported at least one participant outcome (86%) and nearly three-quarters reported an implementation outcome (73%). Only 14% of studies addressed accessibility considerations, predominantly for children with diverse cognitive abilities.

This review highlights a growing emphasis on active learning strategies to support health education for chronic conditions, moving beyond passive learning. To improve inclusivity and accessibility, interventions should prioritise individualised content, multimodal delivery and flexible approaches with meaningful involvement of children and families in intervention design and development.