A Scoping Review of GIS Mapping of Type 1 Diabetes in Children: Identifying Current Gaps and Future Research Directions Using PRISMA-ScR.

BACKGROUND

Type 1 Diabetes poses a significant public health threat, especially in low-and-middle countries, where resources are limited. The use of geographical information systems in diabetes research has shown the potential to reveal several epidemiological risk factors.

AIMS

This scoping review aimed to identify the scope and extent of the current literature and explore its limitations on the geographical mapping of children with type 1 diabetes.

METHODS

A scoping review was conducted using five electronic databases and included studies published between the years 2000 and 2023. The search terms included: "Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus", "GIS mapping", "Juvenile Onset Diabetes Mellitus", "Spatial Epidemiology", "Spatial Clustering", "Spatial analysis", and "Geographic information system". Relevant full-text articles that met the inclusion criteria were selected for review.

RESULTS

The search identified 17 studies that met the criteria for inclusion in the review. More than half the studies were conducted before 2015 (n=11; 61%). All studies were conducted in High-Income Countries. More than 10 articles studied environmental factors, 3 of them focused on the environment, 6 of them included sociodemographic factors, and 1 study incorporated nutrition (as a variable) in environmental factors. 2 studies focused on the accessibility of health services by pediatric patients.

CONCLUSION

Studies on type 1 diabetes highlight the complex relationship between incidence and risk, suggesting comprehensive prevention and treatment. Geographical mapping has potential in low- and middle-income nations, but further research is needed to develop innovative strategies. The importance of geomappping in understanding the risk factors for Type 1 Diabetes is highlighted in this scoping review, which also suggests a possible direction for focused interventions, particularly in settings with low resources.