Asian Journal of Medicine & Health Sciences
Self-Management Behaviours and Health Literacy in Adults with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Scoping Review
By Shuwei Chen, Paramesevary Subramaniam, Qizhi Hao and 1 others.
Abstract
Background
Self-management of diabetes is significantly affected by health literacy; however, its role in affecting specific behaviours is not well understood. This scoping review synthesised the existing evidence on the mechanisms, mediators, and contextual factors through which health literacy influences self-management behaviours among adults with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM).
Methods
The scoping review was conducted in accordance with the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodological framework and reported following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR). A systematic search was conducted in PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar from inception to July 2026. Studies were eligible if they examined health literacy and diabetes self-management among adults with T2DM in any healthcare or community setting worldwide. Following screening, twenty-four studies were included. Data were charted and synthesised into themes based on Bandura's Social Cognitive Theory.