Effectiveness of mHealth interventions on glycemic outcomes in adults with type 2 diabetes in Gulf countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
8 affiliations
- 1Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacy Practice, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Gezira, Wad Medani, Sudan. [email protected].
- 2Primary Health Care Corporation, Doha, Qatar.
- 3Department of Pharmacotherapy and Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Medical Sciences and Technology, Khartoum, Sudan.
- 4Rumailah Hospital, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar.
- 5Al Khor Health Center, Primary Health Care Corporation, Doha, Qatar.
- 6Madinat Khalifa Health Center, Primary Health Care Corporation, Doha, Qatar.
- 7Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacy Practice, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Gezira, Wad Medani, Sudan.
- 8Department of Pharmacy, Dr. Sulaiman Al Habib Hospital, Alkharj, Saudi Arabia.
Abstract
Background
Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) poses a major public health challenge in Gulf countries and has among the highest global prevalence; although mobile health (mHealth) interventions have demonstrated global benefits for diabetes self-management, region-specific evidence remains limited.Objective
To assess the effectiveness of mHealth interventions compared with usual care for glycemic control among adults with T2DM in Gulf countries.Methods
A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted following PRISMA guidelines. PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane CENTRAL were searched from inception to May 15, 2025. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and analytical observational studies comparing mHealth interventions with usual care in adults with T2DM in Gulf countries were included. The risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane RoB 2 tool and the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. A random-effects meta-analysis estimated pooled mean differences in HbA1c.Results
The search yielded 516 records, of which three studies involving 371 participants (mHealth n = 216; usual care n = 155) met the inclusion criteria. Two studies were conducted in Saudi Arabia, and one was conducted in the United Arab Emirates. Interventions included WhatsApp-based diabetes self-management education, mHealth-enabled health coaching, and hybrid care models with remote monitoring. The primary meta-analysis revealed a statistically significant reduction in HbA1c, favoring mHealth interventions compared with usual care (pooled mean difference - 0.86%; 95% CI: -1.48 to - 0.24; I² = 0%). However, sensitivity analysis including only RCTs yielded an inconclusive estimate, with a pooled mean difference of - 1.02% (95% CI: -6.34 to 4.29; I² = 49%).Conclusions
Limited evidence suggests that mHealth interventions may improve glycemic control among adults with type 2 diabetes in Gulf countries. However, the evidence should be interpreted cautiously given the small number of studies and the inconclusive findings of the sensitivity analysis. Larger, high quality RCTs with longer follow-up periods are needed to confirm their effectiveness and inform policy.
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BibTeX
@article{hamadalneel2026effectiveness,
title = {{Effectiveness of mHealth interventions on glycemic outcomes in adults with type 2 diabetes in Gulf countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis.}},
author = {Yousif B Hamadalneel and Tanzeel M A Omer and Toga K Mohamed and Mai Elzain Omer and Abdulmoniem Elmansor and Muataz Khalil and Hifa O Ahmed},
journal = {BMC primary care},
year = {2026},
month = jul,
doi = {10.1186/s12875-026-03492-2},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42907754},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Effectiveness of mHealth interventions on glycemic outcomes in adults with type 2 diabetes in Gulf countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
AU - Yousif B Hamadalneel
AU - Tanzeel M A Omer
AU - Toga K Mohamed
AU - Mai Elzain Omer
AU - Abdulmoniem Elmansor
AU - Muataz Khalil
AU - Hifa O Ahmed
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/07/01
JO - BMC primary care
DO - 10.1186/s12875-026-03492-2
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42907754
AB - Background Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) poses a major public health challenge in Gulf countries and has among the highest global prevalence; although mobile health (mHealth) interventions have demonstrated global benefits for diabetes self-management, region-specific evidence remains limited.Objective To assess the effectiveness of mHealth interventions compared with usual care for glycemic control among adults with T2DM in Gulf countries.Methods A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted following PRISMA guidelines. PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane CENTRAL were searched from inception to May 15, 2025. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and analytical observational studies comparing mHealth interventions with usual care in adults with T2DM in Gulf countries were included. The risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane RoB 2 tool and the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. A random-effects meta-analysis estimated pooled mean differences in HbA1c.Results The search yielded 516 records, of which three studies involving 371 participants (mHealth n = 216; usual care n = 155) met the inclusion criteria. Two studies were conducted in Saudi Arabia, and one was conducted in the United Arab Emirates. Interventions included WhatsApp-based diabetes self-management education, mHealth-enabled health coaching, and hybrid care models with remote monitoring. The primary meta-analysis revealed a statistically significant reduction in HbA1c, favoring mHealth interventions compared with usual care (pooled mean difference - 0.86%; 95% CI: -1.48 to - 0.24; I² = 0%). However, sensitivity analysis including only RCTs yielded an inconclusive estimate, with a pooled mean difference of - 1.02% (95% CI: -6.34 to 4.29; I² = 49%).Conclusions Limited evidence suggests that mHealth interventions may improve glycemic control among adults with type 2 diabetes in Gulf countries. However, the evidence should be interpreted cautiously given the small number of studies and the inconclusive findings of the sensitivity analysis. Larger, high quality RCTs with longer follow-up periods are needed to confirm their effectiveness and inform policy.
SN - 2731-4553
ER -