SENDAS: experience with a diabetes education program for self-management in schools in Argentina

Abstract

Introduction: creating safe and inclusive school environments for children and adolescents (CHI) with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is a complex challenge that transcends office-based education and requires the participation of the educational community. Schools are a central setting where acute complications can arise that require the intervention of responsible adults. 1,2

Objectives: to describe the experience of the "SENDAS: Health in Schools for Children with Diabetes and Healthy Eating" program, a structured educational intervention in schools in Argentina aimed at strengthening self-management of T1DM and preventing T2DM.

Materials and methods: a descriptive study of a diabetes education for self-management program (EDAM), implemented between 2020 and 2024, in public and private primary schools for children and adolescents aged 6 to 12 years with T1DM. Workshops were conducted for teachers, non-teaching staff, caregivers, and students. The evaluation was conducted through pre- and post-intervention surveys on knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of safety.

Results: the program reached 128 institutions in 10 provinces, with more than 5,000 participants. There was an increase in the recognition of hypoglycemia symptoms and their initial management, with a 20% increase, and a greater perception of safety among teaching staff after the intervention. Participants valued the program's relevance, clarity, and applicability.

Conclusions: the SENDAS program constitutes a culturally adapted, replicable, and broad-based educational strategy that contributes to creating safer, more inclusive, and better-prepared school environments to support children and adolescents with T1DM.