Occupational therapy-informed interventions for diabetes self-management: A systematic review
Nikolaos Angelopoulos, Maria Angelopoulou, Panagiotis Siaperas, Konstantina Angelopoulou, Stavroula PaschouBackground:
Diabetes self-management is shaped by routines, habits, environments, and participation in everyday life. Occupational therapy-informed interventions may offer a valuable yet underexplored approach to supporting sustainable self-management.
Methods:
A systematic review was conducted according to a prospectively registered protocol (PROSPERO CRD420251152974) and PRISMA 2020 guidelines. MEDLINE, EMBASE, Scopus, Cochrane CENTRAL, CINAHL, and PsycINFO were searched to October 2025. Eligible studies included adults with diabetes receiving occupational therapy-informed interventions targeting self-management, routines, habits, or participation.
Results:
Nine studies involving 281 participants were included (two randomised controlled trials, one quasi-experimental study, and six pilot or pre–post studies). Interventions commonly addressed routines, habits, goal setting, participation, and engagement within daily life contexts. Improvements were reported in self-management behaviours, self-efficacy, psychosocial outcomes, and participation. Several studies, including both randomised trials, also reported reductions in HbA1c.
Conclusions:
Evidence from nine studies suggests that occupational therapy–informed interventions may improve diabetes self-management behaviours, self-efficacy, participation in daily activities, and in some cases glycaemic control in adults with diabetes. However, evidence remains limited due to small samples, heterogeneous interventions, and predominantly pilot or non-randomised designs. Larger controlled trials are needed to establish the effectiveness of occupational therapy-based approaches in diabetes care.