
Peer Support for Type 2 Diabetes Management in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs): A Scoping Review
Abstract
Background: Although there is evidence of peer support in high-income countries, the use of peer support as an intervention for cardiometabolic disease management, including type 2 diabetes (T2DM), in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), is unclear.
Methods: A scoping review methodology was used to search the databases MEDLINE, Embase, Emcare, PsycINFO, LILACS, CDSR, and CENTRAL.
Results: Twenty-eight studies were included in this scoping review. Of these, 67% were developed in Asia, 22% in Africa, and 11% in the Americas. The definition of peer support varied; however, peer support offered a social and emotional dimension to help individuals cope with negative emotions and barriers while promoting disease management.
Conclusions: Findings from this scopingreview highlight a lack of consistency in defining peer support as a component of CMD management in LMICs. A clear definition of peer support and ongoing program evaluation is recommended for future research.
© 2024 Diana Sherifali, Lilian Pinto da Silva, Pooja Dewan, F. Aaysha Cader, Zainab Dakhil, Bishal Gyawali, Sheila Klassen, Israa Fadhil Yaseen, Milos Jovkovic, Saira Khalid, Donna Fitzpatrick-Lewis, Paige Alliston, Megan Racey, published by Ubiquity Press
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.