Patient Education and Quality of Life in Type 2 Diabetes: Insights from a Narrative Review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.12775/QS.2025.48.66976Keywords
type 2 diabetes, patient education, quality of life, self-managementAbstract
Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) significantly impairs the physical, psychological and social dimensions of life in affected individuals (1). Proper disease control requires effective self-management to reduce the risk of complications and optimize long-term functioning (2). These activities should extend beyond glycemic regulation to include rehabilitation and complication prevention. Patient education is therefore considered a crucial factor enabling individuals to engage in effective self-management (3).
Objective: This review aims to summarize evidence on how patient education influences quality of life (QoL) in people with T2DM (4).
Methods: A narrative review was conducted by searching PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar for literature from 2010 to 2025 (5).
Results: Existing research consistently indicates that structured educational interventions — including Diabetes Self-Management Education (DSME), lifestyle coaching and digital tools — contribute to improved glycemic control, greater disease awareness and enhanced mental health outcomes (6, 7). Educational programs support emotional well-being, increase self-efficacy and strengthen social participation among people with T2DM (8, 9).
Conclusions: Patient education is essential for improving QoL and clinical outcomes in Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) patients (10). Personalized and culturally adapted education should be integrated into standard care (11).
References
1. "American Diabetes Association" 2. Classification and Diagnosis of Diabetes: Standards of Care in Diabetes—2023 2024 [Available from: https://diabetesjournals.org/care/article/46/Supplement_1/S19/148056/2-Classification-and-Diagnosis-of-Diabetes.
2. Shrivastava SR, Shrivastava PS, Ramasamy J. Role of self-care in management of diabetes mellitus. J Diabetes Metab Disord. 2013;12(1):14.
3. Chrvala CA, Sherr D, Lipman RD. Diabetes self-management education for adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus: A systematic review of the effect on glycemic control. Patient Educ Couns. 2016;99(6):926-43.
4. Norris SL, Engelgau MM, Narayan KM. Effectiveness of self-management training in type 2 diabetes: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Diabetes Care. 2001;24(3):561-87.
5. Glasgow RE, Funnell MM, Bonomi AE, Davis C, Beckham V, Wagner EH. Self-management aspects of the improving chronic illness care breakthrough series: implementation with diabetes and heart failure teams. Ann Behav Med. 2002;24(2):80-7.
6. Steinsbekk A, Rygg L, Lisulo M, Rise MB, Fretheim A. Group based diabetes self-management education compared to routine treatment for people with type 2 diabetes mellitus. A systematic review with meta-analysis. BMC Health Serv Res. 2012;12:213.
7. Ernawati U, Wihastuti TA, Utami YW. Effectiveness of diabetes self-management education (DSME) in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients: Systematic literature review. J Public Health Res. 2021;10(2).
8. Beverly EA, Ritholz MD, Brooks KM, Hultgren BA, Lee Y, Abrahamson MJ, et al. A qualitative study of perceived responsibility and self-blame in type 2 diabetes: reflections of physicians and patients. J Gen Intern Med. 2012;27(9):1180-7.
9. Norris SL, Lau J, Smith SJ, Schmid CH, Engelgau MM. Self-Management Education for Adults With Type 2 Diabetes: A meta-analysis of the effect on glycemic control. Diabetes Care. 2002;25(7):1159-71.
10. Powers MA, Bardsley JK, Cypress M, Funnell MM, Harms D, Hess-Fischl A, et al. Diabetes Self-management Education and Support in Adults With Type 2 Diabetes: A Consensus Report of the American Diabetes Association, the Association of Diabetes Care & Education Specialists, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Academy of PAs, the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, and the American Pharmacists Association. Diabetes Care. 2020;43(7):1636-49.
11. Stellefson M, Dipnarine K, Stopka C. The chronic care model and diabetes management in US primary care settings: a systematic review. Prev Chronic Dis. 2013;10:E26.
12. Whicher CA, O'Neill S, Holt RIG. Diabetes in the UK: 2019. Diabet Med. 2020;37(2):242-7.
13. Mustapa A, Justine M, Manaf H. Effects of patient education on the quality of life of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: A scoping review. Malays Fam Physician. 2022;17(3):22-32.
14. Fisher L, Glasgow RE, Strycker LA. The relationship between diabetes distress and clinical depression with glycemic control among patients with type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Care. 2010;33(5):1034-6.
15. Powell CK, Hill EG, Clancy DE. The relationship between health literacy and diabetes knowledge and readiness to take health actions. Diabetes Educ. 2007;33(1):144-51.
16. Glasgow RE, Peeples M, Skovlund SE. Where is the patient in diabetes performance measures? The case for including patient-centered and self-management measures. Diabetes Care. 2008;31(5):1046-50.
17. Fisher L, Hessler DM, Polonsky WH, Mullan J. When is diabetes distress clinically meaningful?: establishing cut points for the Diabetes Distress Scale. Diabetes Care. 2012;35(2):259-64.
18. Duncan I, Birkmeyer C, Coughlin S, Li QE, Sherr D, Boren S. Assessing the value of diabetes education. Diabetes Educ. 2009;35(5):752-60.
19. Mulcahy K, Maryniuk M, Peeples M, Peyrot M, Tomky D, Weaver T, et al. Diabetes self-management education core outcomes measures. Diabetes Educ. 2003;29(5):768-70, 73-84, 87-8 passim.
20. Peyrot M, Rubin RR, Funnell MM, Siminerio LM. Access to diabetes self-management education: results of national surveys of patients, educators, and physicians. Diabetes Educ. 2009;35(2):246-8, 52-6, 58-63.
21. Uusitupa M, Khan TA, Viguiliouk E, Kahleova H, Rivellese AA, Hermansen K, et al. Prevention of Type 2 Diabetes by Lifestyle Changes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Nutrients. 2019;11(11).
22. Tuomilehto J, Lindström J, Eriksson JG, Valle TT, Hämäläinen H, Ilanne-Parikka P, et al. Prevention of type 2 diabetes mellitus by changes in lifestyle among subjects with impaired glucose tolerance. N Engl J Med. 2001;344(18):1343-50.
23. Ismail K, Winkley K, Rabe-Hesketh S. Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials of psychological interventions to improve glycaemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes. Lancet. 2004;363(9421):1589-97.
24. Cheng L, Sit JW, Choi KC, Chair SY, Li X, He XL. Effectiveness of Interactive Self-Management Interventions in Individuals With Poorly Controlled Type 2 Diabetes: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Worldviews Evid Based Nurs. 2017;14(1):65-73.
25. Greenhalgh T, Wherton J, Shaw S, Morrison C. Video consultations for covid-19. Bmj. 2020;368:m998.
26. Home PD. Plasma insulin profiles after subcutaneous injection: how close can we get to physiology in people with diabetes? Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism. 2015;17(11):1011-20.
27. Cui M, Wu X, Mao J, Wang X, Nie M. T2DM Self-Management via Smartphone Applications: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. PLoS One. 2016;11(11):e0166718.
28. Zhao F, Pan D, Wang N, Xia H, Zhang H, Wang S, et al. Effect of Chromium Supplementation on Blood Glucose and Lipid Levels in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Biol Trace Elem Res. 2022;200(2):516-25.
29. Norris SL, Engelgau MM, Venkat Narayan KM. Effectiveness of Self-Management Training in Type 2 Diabetes: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Diabetes Care. 2001;24(3):561-87.
30. Berkman ND, Sheridan SL, Donahue KE, Halpern DJ, Crotty K. Low health literacy and health outcomes: an updated systematic review. Ann Intern Med. 2011;155(2):97-107.
31. Kreuter MW, Lukwago SN, Bucholtz DC, Clark EM, Sanders-Thompson V. Achieving Cultural Appropriateness in Health Promotion Programs: Targeted and Tailored Approaches. Health Education & Behavior. 2003;30(2):133-46.
32. Franz MJ, Boucher JL, Rutten-Ramos S, VanWormer JJ. Lifestyle weight-loss intervention outcomes in overweight and obese adults with type 2 diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2015;115(9):1447-63.
33. Dunn TC, Xu Y, Hayter G, Ajjan RA. Real-world flash glucose monitoring patterns and associations between self-monitoring frequency and glycaemic measures: A European analysis of over 60 million glucose tests. Diabetes Res Clin Pract. 2018;137:37-46.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Małgorzata Stróżna, Katarzyna Stróżna, Katarzyna Chmura, Barbara Zimnoch, Katarzyna Rendaszka, Katarzyna Kowalska, Marta Pyziołek , Marta Bonarska, Paulina Kwaśniewska, Joanna Monika Najbar

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Stats
Number of views and downloads: 5
Number of citations: 0