Introduction: Type 1 diabetes mellitus is the most common metabolic disorder in children and adolescents. Health education should be provided to all children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus, as well as to their family members. Information should be comprehensive and appropriate to the age and needs of the child or adolescent and their family. Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to present, based on a review of the literature, health education approaches that may promote self-management of type 1 diabetes mellitus in children and adolescents. Methods: A descriptive research method was used. A review of the scientific literature was conducted in the following databases: MEDLINE, ERIC, ScienceDirect, Cochrane Library, and CINAHL Ultimate. The review included articles published between 2016 and 2026. Results: Twelve scientific articles were included in the analysis. The findings showed that health education programmes have a positive effect on the self-management of type 1 diabetes mellitus in children and adolescents. Structured health education programmes contributed to improved knowledge about the disease, better disease management, improved management of hypoglycaemia and hyperglycaemia, improved quality of life, and lower HbA1c levels. The inclusion of parents in health education is also important for improving disease-related knowledge, promoting more effective self-management, improving the management of hypoglycaemia and hyperglycaemia, enhancing quality of life, and achieving lower HbA1c levels. Interactive health education approaches, such as games, animated videos, health education workshops, and digital games, have proven effective in strengthening motivation, engagement, and practical self-management skills. The effects of health education were often more pronounced in younger children than in adolescents. Age-appropriate, interactive, and structured health education contributes significantly to more successful self-management of type 1 diabetes mellitus in children and adolescents. Discussion and conclusion: Health education plays a key role in strengthening self-management of type 1 diabetes mellitus in children and adolescents. Nurses are key providers of health education, as their continuous support, individualised approach, and collaboration with the family significantly contribute to improving the independence and health outcomes of young people with type 1 diabetes mellitus. Further research is needed to develop and evaluate modern, digitally supported, and interdisciplinary approaches to health education.
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