Effect of diabetes self-management education on glycemic control in Latino adults with type 2 diabetes: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Purpose: This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the effectiveness of diabetes self-management education (DSME) in reducing glycosylated hemoglobin (A1C) levels in adult Latinos with type 2 diabetes (T2DM).

Methods: Five databases were searched for DSME randomized controlled trials or quasi-experimental trials published between January 1997 and March 2019. A random effects model was utilized to calculate combined effect sizes. Subgroup analyses were performed to explore possible sources of heterogeneity between studies.

Results: Twenty-three unique studies met criteria for this systematic review and of these, 18 were included in the meta-analysis. Pooled estimate effect of DSME on A1C from the random effect model was -0.240 (95% confidence interval = -0.345, -0.135, p <  0.001). There was moderate heterogeneity (Cochrane Q=30.977, P=0.020, I^2 = 45.121) between the studies. Subgroup analyses demonstrated greater A1C reductions in studies with intervention duration ≤6 months, initial A1C baseline values >8.0 [69 mmol/mol], and team-based approach.

Conclusions: Meta-analysis results showed that culturally tailored DSME interventions significantly reduce AIC in Latinos with T2DM despite the heterogeneity across the studies.

Implications: The heterogeneity in the study methodologies reinforce the need for additional studies to better understand DSME interventions to reduce disparities in Latino adults with T2DM.