Psychosocial factors associated with repeat diabetic ketoacidosis in people living with type 1 diabetes: A systematic review

Aim: To systematically review the literature concerning the psychosocial factors associated with repeat diabetic ketoacidosis for people living with type 1 diabetes.

Methods: PsycInfo, Web of Science, CINAHL, PubMed and ASSIA were searched according to a registered study protocol (PROSPERO CRD42020167381). Data were extracted into a coding spreadsheet, and findings were synthesised narratively. Included papers were also subject to a quality assessment.

Results: The search yielded 548 unique articles, of which 22 met inclusion criteria for this review. There was considerable variance across studies with regard to design, quality and outcome measured. Nevertheless, there was relatively consistent evidence to suggest that repeat diabetic ketoacidosis in type 1 diabetes is associated with female gender, adolescent to young adult age range, lower socio-economic status and poor mental health. Some evidence was also observed for the role of ethnicity and, for children and young people at least, family, social and behavioural issues. However, this was limited by issues of methodological rigour and scant investigation.

Conclusions: The review identified four psychosocial factors that appear to play a key role in the cycle of repeat diabetic ketoacidosis. Individuals with these factors present may benefit from targeted support and interventions by specialist healthcare professionals. Knowledge and understanding in this area would be considerably enhanced via increased use of prospective study designs and greater consistency in the operationalisation of variables across studies.