Department of Psychology, University of Nairobi, Mombasa Campus, Mombasa, Kenya.
Department of Journalism and Communication, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.
PLoS One. 2022 Sep 26;17(9):e0273722. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0273722. eCollection 2022.
Diabetes mellitus is a growing worldwide health challenge especially in sub-Saharan Africa. While the use and effectiveness of diabetes self-management interventions is well documented in high-income countries, little information exists in sub-Saharan Africa. Therefore, this study attempted to synthesize information in the literature on the use and efficacy of peer support and social networking in diabetes self-management in Kenya and Uganda.
The purpose of this scoping review is to summarize research on the extent of use and efficacy of peer support and social networking interventions in diabetes self-management in Kenya and Uganda.
We searched PubMed, ScienceDirect and Cochrane Library databases for articles reporting peer support and social networking interventions in Kenya and Uganda published in English between 2000 and September 2021. Key words encapsulated three major themes: peer support, social networking and self-management. Hand searches were also conducted to select eligible papers. Data was extracted using a form prepared and piloted in line with PRISMA-ScR guidelines.
Thirteen peer reviewed articles were selected for analysis. Eleven studies reported peer support interventions while two focused on social networks in diabetes self-management. Peer support and social networking interventions incorporated microfinance and group medical visits, diabetes self-management education, telephone support and Medication Adherence Clubs. Most interventions were delivered by multidisciplinary teams comprising nurses and other professionals, peer educators, peer leaders and community health workers. Most interventions were effective and led to improvements in HbA1c and blood pressure, eating behaviors and physical activity and social support.
The limited studies available show that peer support and social networking interventions have mixed results on health and other outcomes. Importantly, most studies reported significant improvements in clinical outcomes. Further research is needed on the nature and mechanisms through which peer support and social network characteristics affect health outcomes.
糖尿病是一个在全球范围内日益严重的健康挑战，尤其是在撒哈拉以南非洲地区。虽然在高收入国家，糖尿病自我管理干预的使用和效果已经有充分的记录，但在撒哈拉以南非洲地区，相关信息却很少。因此，本研究试图综合文献中关于在肯尼亚和乌干达使用同伴支持和社交网络进行糖尿病自我管理的信息，并评估其效果。
本范围综述的目的是总结在肯尼亚和乌干达，关于同伴支持和社交网络干预在糖尿病自我管理中的使用程度和效果的研究。
我们在 PubMed、ScienceDirect 和 Cochrane Library 数据库中检索了 2000 年至 2021 年 9 月期间以英文发表的关于在肯尼亚和乌干达使用同伴支持和社交网络干预的文章。关键词包含三个主要主题：同伴支持、社交网络和自我管理。此外，我们还进行了手工检索，以选择符合条件的论文。使用按照 PRISMA-ScR 指南制定并进行预试验的表格提取数据。
共选择了 13 篇同行评议文章进行分析。11 项研究报告了同伴支持干预措施，而 2 项研究则侧重于糖尿病自我管理中的社交网络。同伴支持和社交网络干预措施包括小额信贷和团体医疗访问、糖尿病自我管理教育、电话支持和药物依从俱乐部。大多数干预措施由包括护士和其他专业人员、同伴教育者、同伴领导人和社区卫生工作者在内的多学科团队提供。大多数干预措施是有效的，导致 HbA1c 和血压、饮食行为和身体活动以及社会支持的改善。
现有的有限研究表明，同伴支持和社交网络干预措施对健康和其他结果的影响好坏参半。重要的是，大多数研究报告了临床结果的显著改善。需要进一步研究同伴支持和社交网络特征影响健康结果的性质和机制。
