Cartoon-based diabetes education can enhance children’s knowledge and physical activity

Researchers at University of Tsukuba reported that using manga as an educational tool in diabetes instruction for children can be equally effective as traditional lectures in enhancing diabetes-related knowledge and engagement in physical activity. Moreover, reading a comic book was perceived as more satisfying, and this sense of satisfaction contributed to behavioral changes.

The research is published in the journal Clinical Pediatric Endocrinology.

Diabetes is a prevalent condition that affects children and adults, which underscores the importance of fostering accurate knowledge and healthy lifestyle habits from an early age. However, certain misconceptions persist, such as the belief that “diabetes is a disease caused by laziness” or “physical activity should be avoided when using insulin.”

These discrepancies in understanding highlight the need for accurate and accessible educational approaches. In this study, the researchers developed an original manga focused on diabetes and evaluated its educational impact.

Thirty children aged 8–15 years from Ibaraki Prefecture were randomly assigned to a manga and a lecture group. Across the first two weeks, physical activity was monitored using an accelerometer (a device that tracks steps and movement), followed by an assessment of the children’s diabetes-related knowledge. The same measurements and tests were repeated six months later.

The findings demonstrated that both groups exhibited significant improvements in diabetes-related knowledge and levels of physical activity, which implies that manga and lectures were comparably effective.

Notably, children in the manga group reported higher levels of psychological satisfaction, which correlated with improved test scores and physical activities. This relationship was not observed in the lecture group. These results illustrate that manga may enhance motivation and enjoyment, indicating that the mechanisms underlying educational effectiveness may vary according to the medium used.

This study demonstrates that manga can effectively convey accurate information on diabetes and promote behavioral changes through increased physical activity.

Therefore, further research using a larger sample of children could provide valuable insights for health education initiatives in schools and communities.