Effectiveness and safety of self-management interventions among adult type 2 diabetes mellitus patients in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review protocol

Objective: The objective of this review is to evaluate and synthesize evidence on the effectiveness and safety of self-management interventions among adult type 2 diabetes mellitus patients in sub-Saharan Africa. Introduction: Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a large and growing problem in sub-Saharan Africa. Several randomized controlled trials have been conducted assessing a range of self-management interventions among adult patients in sub-Saharan African settings. A comprehensive systematic review on the effectiveness and safety of these self-management interventions is required to inform health policy. This will allow for wide implementation of evidence-based self-management interventions in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus in sub-Saharan Africa. Inclusion criteria: This systematic review will include randomized controlled trials assessing the effectiveness and safety of self-management interventions among adult type 2 diabetes mellitus patients in sub-Saharan Africa. Methods: The authors will undertake a systematic search for published and unpublished studies using the following sources: MEDLINE (Ovid), Embase (Ovid), CINAHL (EBSCO), PsycINFO (Ovid), Scopus, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Global Health (EBSCO), Directory of Open Access Journals, OpenGrey, EthOS, and ProQuest Dissertations and Theses. No language restrictions will be applied. The review will be conducted in accordance with the JBI methodology for systematic reviews of effectiveness. Narrative synthesis will be conducted, followed by meta-analysis, where feasible. Systematic review registration number: PROSPERO CRD42021237506