Effectiveness of Culturally Tailored Interventions on Self-Management in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND

Given evidence that existing "one size fits all" diabetes self-management education approaches are not a universal fit for all people with type 2 diabetes mellitus, cultural tailoring of interventions is undertaken to better meet specific needs of underserved population groups.

AIM: To evaluate the effectiveness of culturally tailored self-management interventions in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

METHODS

The search retrieved 1402 articles of which 17 studies (15 randomized controlled trials and 2 quasi-experimental studies) were included, with 7 studies in the meta-analysis.

RESULTS

Most studies (n = 9) were conducted in the United States of America among ethnic minority groups. Of the 17 studies, 14 measured self-management behaviors with 9 showing substantial improvements in adherence to self-management behaviors (i.e., diet, foot care, medication, physical activity, self-testing of blood glucose). The meta-analysis showed that there was significant improvement in Glycated Hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels (-0.57 [95% CI -1.15, -0.25] p < 0.01) post intervention.

LINKING EVIDENCE TO ACTION: Culturally tailored interventions have the potential to improve HbA1c and self-management behaviors in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus. While maintaining a collaborative approach with experts including nurses, future interventions should adopt participatory approaches with persons living with T2DM and their families, considering their perspectives, unique needs, and priorities.

TRIAL REGISTRATION: PROSPERO number: CRD42022375630.