Table 2.

Characteristics of the included studies

Authors	Country	Number of subjects (baseline)	Health education provider	Theory/model used	Group/ individual	Intervention	Components of intervention	Duration of intervention	Outcome measures	Outcome indicators
Wichit et al67	Thailand	I=70 C=70	Trained nurse	Self-efficacy	Group	Education classes (3 sessions), discussions, a home visit and a telephone follow-up	Programme focused on: meal planning, foot hygiene, physical activities, problem-solving, diabetes-related complications, enhancing competence and diabetes knowledge	9 weeks	At baseline, week 5 and week 13	①②④⑤⑥
Fan et al69	Australia	I=138 C=138	Trained nurse	Empirical	Mixed	Face-to-face counselling over 1 hour, self-care plan, a 10 min telephone call before the appointment, a 3-month forum for about 2 hours	Education emphasises on diet modification, exercise, SMBG, psychological and adherence to medication	6 months	At each follow-up and the end of 6 months	①
Grillo et al 52	Brazil	I=68 C=68	Trained generalist nurse	Empirical	Group	Structured diabetes self-management education; the course consisted of weekly 2-hour meetings for 5 weeks, reinforcement meetings every 4 months (7 sessions)	The course content included: (1) identification of modifiable risk factors for T2DM, (2) non-pharmacological treatment, emphasising diet and exercise, (3) pharmacological therapy, (4) an overview of chronic diabetes complications and (5) foot care	12 months	At baseline, 4, 8 and 12 months	①④
Cani et al51	Brazil	I=37 C=41	Pharmacist	Empirical	Individual	Diabetes education (5 sessions), pharmacotherapeutic care plan and written guidance	Education on acute and chronic complications, the importance of lifestyle changes, foot care, the importance of home blood glucose monitoring and other topics, advice focused on the indication, proper dosage, side effects and adequate storage of medication	6 months	At baseline and 6 months	①③④⑥
Zheng et al53	China	I=30 C=30	Therapist guidance	Empirical	Mixed	Two-session diabetes self-management education which is theory and practical course, lecture, video, exercise, food simulation model and vivid models	Theory course focuses on knowledge of diabetes and self-management strategies, such as diet guidance, exercise guidance, and knowledge of hypoglycaemia treatment, foot care, medication, and blood glucose monitoring; the practice course focuses on one-on-one nutrition guidance and individualised exercise guidance	3 months	At baseline and 3 months	①③⑤
Jiang et al54	China	I=133 C=132	Trained nurses and physicians	Self‐efficacy	Group	Structured education programme, patients’ experience sharing, peer modelling, demonstration; the intervention was given 4 weekly sessions for 1 month and then face‐to‐face/telephone meetings every 3 months	Diabetes‐related knowledge and diabetes self-management skills based on self‐efficacy theory	4 weeks	At baseline, 3 and 6 months	①②③④⑤
Kong et al55	China	I=150 C=150	Physician, health manager and public health assistant	Chronic care model (CCM)	Group	Pamphlets and face-to-face communication, continuous medical education; education was 9 sessions every month	Received the five components CCM-based intervention, awareness of the chronic disease management; self-management support included goals setting, planning, doing, checking and assessing	9 months	At baseline and 9 months	①③⑥
Braun et al57	Germany	I=83 C=72	Not stated	Empirical	Group	Diabetes teaching and treatment programme, 7 educational classes of 45 min duration	Self-monitoring, diabetes treatment	6 months	Before (t0), immediately after (t1) and 6 months after (t2)	①④⑤
Hermanns et al56	Germany	I=92 C=92	Certified diabetes nurse	Empowerment self-management approach	Group	Lecture, discussion and a nutrition game; the education is given for 10 lessons of 90 min each, 5-week period, 2 sessions per week	Lifestyle modification, blood glucose self-monitoring, metabolic risk factors, individual goals of diabetes treatment, nutrition game, physical exercise and complications	5 weeks	At baseline and 6 months after the intervention	①②③④⑤⑥
Didarloo et al58	Iran	I=45 C=45	Trained nurse	Empirical	Group	Interactive approach such as discussion, brainstorming, question-and-response techniques for 60 min/week for 4 weeks; used specific training such as verbal persuasion and modelling	Promoting self-efficacy of diabetics, the educator used specific training approaches such as verbal persuasion, modelling and performance accomplishments Definition, signs, symptoms, and consequences of T2DM and diet	4 weeks	At baseline and 3 months after the end of the intervention	①②③④⑥
Askari et al59	Iran	I=54 C=54	Researcher	BASNEF model	Group	Training in 8 sessions (2 sessions in a week); each session lasted for 70 min; question and answer, exercise, discussion, image and messages were sent to the patients each week	Presented content was about diabetes, signs and symptoms, diet, food composition tables, partitioning, proper use of fruits, vegetables, and grains as sources of dietary fibre	4 weeks	At baseline and 3 months after the end of the intervention	①②③④⑤
Ebrahimi et al61	Iran	I=53 C=53	Nurse with the endocrinologist and nutritionist	Empowerment model	Group	Education training, 5–7 weekly regular meetings were held for about 60–90 min	The content of education was diet, exercise, medication and foot care The structural model was perceived threat, self-efficacy and evaluation	8 weeks	Baseline and 3 months after the end of the intervention	①
Nejhaddadgar et al62	Iran	I=43 C=43	Trained professional	PRECEDE-PROCEED model	Group	The education programme with 8 weekly sessions; training workshops were also conducted among patients’ families and health workers	Education based on the variables of the PRECEDE model such as predisposing factors are genetic and environmental factors such as knowledge, attitudes and self-efficacy	8 weeks	Baseline and 6 months after the education programme	②③④⑤
Azami et al60	Iran	I=71 C=71	Trained nurse	Self-efficacy and motivational interviewing	Group	Usual care plus a 12-week nurse-led diabetes self-management education, booklet, watching movie clips, group-based educational session, telephone follow-up calls	Self-care behaviours, including healthy eating, being active, monitoring, taking medication, problem-solving, reducing risk and healthy coping are the core components of the intervention	12 weeks	At baseline, and 12 weeks and 24 weeks post-randomisation	①②⑤⑥
Tan et al 63	Malaysia	I=82 C=82	Not stated	Self-efficacy	Group	Structured education consisted of monthly sessions for 3 months about 30 min each session, 2 were face-to-face individual education sessions and 1 was a telephone follow-up; printed educational materials	The first session, healthy eating, being active, medication adherence and self-monitoring of blood glucose; the second and third sessions on problem-solving skills related to hyperglycaemia, hypoglycaemia, sick day and emotional episodes	3 months	At baseline and 12 weeks	①②④
Ramadas et al64	Malaysia	I=66 C=62	Nutritionist	Behavioural theory	Web-based	Web-based dietary intervention, 12 lesson plans were made available to the patients one after another for 6 months with updates every fortnight	The dietary lesson plans in the intervention package were personalised according to the patients’ dietary stages of change and were expected to improve their diabetes, knowledge, attitude, and behaviour; the participants also send their queries to the study nutritionist via the website	6 months	At baseline, 6 months post-intervention and 12-month follow-up	①②③④
Adolfsson et al 66	Sweden	I=50 C=51	Nurse and physician	Empowerment	Group	Empowerment group education, counselling using videotaping, presentation and discussion, 1 follow-up session was given within 7 months	About the disease, treatment, prevention of complications, blood glucose monitoring, diet, physical activity and daily foot care	12 months	At baseline and at 1-year follow-up	①②④⑥
Hörnsten et al65	Sweden	I=44 C=60	Nurse with special education in diabetes care	Empirical	Group	Education and group discussion with 10 2-hour group sessions over 9 months	Patients’ understanding of the illness	9 months	Before and each year after the intervention	①
Jayasuriya et al68	Sri Lanka	I=43 C=42	Medical officer and trained nurse	Self-efficacy and motivational interviewing	Mixed	Self-management education through face-to-face meeting and lecturing The first four sessions within 6 weeks, following monthly (4 weekly) for 5 more visits	Physical activity and healthy dietary intake and more recently in ‘avoidance behaviours’ to reduce unhealthy eating	6 months	At baseline and at 6 months	①②⑤

Outcome indicators: ① metabolic controls, ② self-efficacy, ③ behaviour, ④ knowledge, ⑤ other psychological indicators and ⑥ quality of life.

C, control; I, intervention; SMBG, Self Monitoring of Blood Glucose; T2DM, type 2 diabetes.