Meta-Analysis
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2021.
World J Diabetes. Feb 15, 2021; 12(2): 170-197
Published online Feb 15, 2021. doi: 10.4239/wjd.v12.i2.170
Table 3 HbA1c subgroup analysis for included studies
SubgroupsStudies (n)Participant (n)Mean difference
Effect size
Q testMean difference (95%CI)I2 (%)Q testEffect size (95%CI)I2 (%)
Mode of intervention
Text message546955.331-0.591 (-0.892, -0.290)c92.771c133.957-1.377 (-2.503, -0.252)a97.014c
Mobile app121154321.220-0.359 (-0.502, -0.215)c96.576c281.110-1.308 (-2.009, -0.607)c96.087c
Interactive telephone21709.069-0.782 (-1.172, -0.391)c88.974b2.226-2.600 (-3.243, -1.957)c55.074
Internet server/computer network71288353.994-0.431 (-0.558, -0.304)c98.305c332.245-1.751 (-2.819, -0.684)c98.194c
Website141875843.158-0.539 (-0.706, -0.371)c98.458c696.131-1.747 (-2.587, -0.907)c98.133c
Video conference21641.687-0.845 (-1.144, -0.546)c40.71925.261-1.450 (-3.323, 0.424)96.041c
Device or tablet51812332.123-0.278 (-0.747, 0.191)c98.796c162.677-0.905 (-1.725, -0.085)a97.541c
Duration of intervention, months
≤ 661158222.519-0.363 (-0.567, -0.159)c97.753c239.478-1.290 (-2.186, -0.394)b97.912c
62022341260.455-0.626 (-0.766, -0.486)c98.493c740.442-2.054 (-2.712, -1.396)c97.434c
> 62125651173.100-0.380 (-0.507, -0.252)c98.295c674.872-1.080 (-1.583, -0.578)c97.036c
Focus of intervention
Biomedical parameters1626331830.624-0.687 (-0.821, -0.553)c99.181c844.645-2.406 (-3.174, -1.639)c98.224c
Self-management behaviors733464.189-0.360 (-0.805, 0.086)90.653c139.861-0.740 (-1.753, 0.274)95.710c
Biomedical and self-management243965687.693-0.348 (-0.442, -0.253)c96.655c645.659-1.171 (-1.583, -0.759)c96.438c
Telemedicine method
Telemonitoring1930761872.902-0.553 (-0.662, -0.445)c99.039c1107.777-2.263 (-2.991, -1.534)c98.375c
Tele-education12994125.448-0.495 (-0.683, -0.307)c91.231c289.370-1.068 (-1.767, -0.368)b96.199c
Telemonitoring and tele-education162862501.993-0.391 (-0.542, -0.240)c97.012c287.276-1.002 (-1.415, -0.588)c94.779c
Model of intervention
Behavior change282773629.401-0.452 (-0.575, -0.329)c95.710c596.338-1.041 (-1.426, -0.656)c95.472c
Treatment1322481518.194-0.589 (-0.725, -0.453)c99.210c710.693-2.386 (-3.249, -1.522)c98.312c
Behavior change and treatment61911448.804-0.401 (-0.612, -0.189)c98.886c332.288-1.934 (-3.070, -0.799)c98.495c
Intervention lead
Doctor11987522.974-0.288 (-0.512, -0.064)a98.088c391.153-0.922 (-1.795, -0.048)a97.443c
Nurse152747868.940-0.491 (-0.655, -0.327)c98.389c474.130-1.606 (-2.205, -1.006)c97.047c
Multi-disciplinary1729411237.843-0.534 (-0.643, -0.425)c98.707c852.270-2.038 (-2.702, -1.375)c98.123c
Allied health42578.094-0.939 (-1.651, -0.227)b62.935a11.197-0.600 (-1.137, -0.062)a73.208b
Dropout rate
0%-9.9%202659779.280-0.458 (-0.584, -0.333)c97.562c571.285-1.138 (-1.62, -0.657)c96.674c
10%-19.9%162795709.022-0.645 (-0.786, -0.504)c97.884c740.889-2.329 (-3.107, -1.552)c97.975c
20% +10994365.413-0.297 (-0.472, -0.121)c97.537c267.256-0.902 (-1.632, -0.171)a96.632c
Frequency of intervention
Daily192176996.897-0.439 (-0.577, -0.302)c98.194c593.016-1.408 (-1.959, -0.857)c96.965c
< daily to > weekly102005627.889-0.307 (-0.462, -0.152)c98.567c602.249-1.452 (-2.300, -0.605)c98.506c
Weekly71095448.790-0.791 (-1.167, -0.416)c98.663c353.155-2.340 (-3.576, -1.105)c98.301c
< weekly5116230.212-0.835 (-1.068, -0.602)c86.760c131.622-2.423 (-3.943, -0.902)b96.961c
Not mentioned649433.795-0.227 (-0.690, 0.237)85.205c42.744-0.360 (-1.010, 0.290)88.302c
Rate of use/engagement
≤ 70%5808406.483-0.212 (-0.526, 0.102)99.016c254.620-1.060 (-2.422, 0.303)98.429c
> 70%81287150.709-0.576 (-0.696, -0.455)c95.355c204.974-2.492 (-3.514, -1.469)c96.585c
Not mentioned3448371782.085-0.496 (-0.589, -0.403)c98.148c1231.652-1.361 (-1.771, -0.951)c97.321c
Self-care: Medication adherence
No significant differences455757.285-0.268 (-0.459, -0.077)b94.763c39.413-0.650 (-1.254, -0.047)a92.388c
Intervention significantly better354122.004-0.265 (-0.677, 0.147)90.911c60.687-0.783 (-1.810, 0.245)96.704c
Not mentioned4058342414.200-0.522 (-0.605, -0.44)c98.385c1538.553-1.664 (-2.09, -1.237)c97.465c
Self -care: Disease knowledge
No significant differences768533.269-0.025 (-0.169, 0.118)81.965c39.012-0.142 (-0.535, 0.252)84.620c
Intervention significantly better21975.253-0.590 (-1.401, 0.222)80.963a42.653-1.220 (-3.543, 1.102)97.655c
Not mentioned3860502399.254-0.530 (-0.611, -0.449)c98.458c1584.253-1.802 (-2.234, -1.37)c97.655c
Self-care: Behavior change
No significant differences33790.374-0.100 (-0.134, -0.065)c0.00010.944-0.318 (-0.769, 0.132)81.726c
Intervention significantly better432894.795-0.532 (-1.153, 0.090)96.835c70.276-1.145 (-2.347, 0.057)95.731c
Not mentioned4062252477.596-0.508 (-0.59, -0.427)c98.426c1678.368-1.656 (-2.079, -1.234)c97.676c
Self-care: Glucose monitoring
No significant differences12990.000-0.100 (-0.136, -0.064)c0.0000.000-0.634 (-0.866, -0.401)c0.000
Intervention significantly better3434103.754-0.505 (-0.923, -0.087)a98.072c31.471-1.795 (-2.897, -0.693)c93.645c
Not mentioned4361992441.038-0.498 (-0.580, -0.416)c98.279c1807.229-1.527 (-1.942, -1.113)c97.676c
Self-care: Hospital visits needed
No significant differences233929.741-0.440 (-0.744, -0.137)b96.638c0.510-2.467 (-2.750, -2.184)c0.000
Intervention significantly better12460.0000.010 (-0.023, 0.043)0.0000.0000.082 (-0.187, 0.351)0.000
Not mentioned4463472341.454-0.505 (-0.586, -0.424)c98.164c1692.930-1.519 (-1.906, -1.133)c97.460c
Self-care: self-efficacy
No significant differences6107190.786-0.232 (-0.360, -0.105)c94.493c71.592-0.636 (-1.093, -0.178)b93.016c
Intervention significantly better1470.000-0.810 (-1.013, -0.607)c0.0000.000-2.290 (-3.029, -1.552)c0.000
Not mentioned4058142311.342-0.514 (-0.597, -0.430)c98.313c1633.909-1.638 (-2.077, -1.199)c97.613c
Self-care: nutrition
No significant differences438042.368-0.642 (-0.845, -0.440)c92.919c7.474-2.190 (-2.608, -1.772)c59.861
Not mentioned4365522567.224-0.466 (-0.546, -0.387)c98.364c1785.184-1.457 (-1.853, -1.061)c97.647c
Self-care: Exercise
No significant differences21327.605-0.641 (-0.943, -0.338)c86.850b0.209-2.427 (-2.877, -1.976)c0.000
Not mentioned4568002636.871-0.477 (-0.554, -0.400)c98.331c1824.510-1.485 (-1.866, -1.104)c97.588c
Racial
Hispanic21482.118-0.867 (-1.052, -0.682)c52.7820.502-2.791 (-3.245, -2.337)c0.000
Not mentioned4567842560.239-0.464 (-0.540, -0.388)c98.281c1804.224-1.471 (-1.85, -1.092)c97.561c
Comorbid disease
Overweight/obese431850.425-1.270 (-1.971, -0.568)c94.051c50.979-2.034 (-3.280, -0.788)c94.115c
Hypertension12990.000-0.100 (-0.136, -0.064)c0.0000.000-0.634 (-0.866, -0.401)c0.000
Not mentioned4263152376.371-0.439 (-0.516, -0.361)c98.275c1787.062-1.499 (-1.910, -1.087)c97.706c