The study aims to systematically review the literature for risk factors associated with poor glycaemic control among type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients in Saudi Arabia (SA) and conducts a meta-analysis of its prevalence. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) protocol, we searched the Scopus, PubMed, PsycINFO, Web of Science, and CINAHL Plus databases from May to November 2018. The search terms were T2DM, glycaemic control, and SA. The inclusion criteria include the following: observational studies which were conducted in T2DM patients in SA reporting prevalence or/and personal, psychological or behavioural predictors in papers published after 2006. Articles were assessed using a modified Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) tool. Studies included in the meta-analysis defined uncontrolled T2DM as glycated haemoglobin ≥7% (53 mmol/mol), and reported results were based on a random-effects model. Eighteen of the following articles (3 retrospective cohort studies, 1 case-control study, and 14 cross-sectional studies) were included. The quality of the studies (high: 2; moderate: 7, and low: 9) varied. The pooled prevalence of uncontrolled T2DM in SA was 77.7% (95% CI, 71.2-84.2). In the included studies, the most consistent predictors of poor glycaemic control were longer diabetes duration, lack of self-efficacy, and low knowledge of diabetes. However, significant variations in research designs were observed across the studies. A national diabetes prevention and treatment program is needed to lessen the burden of diabetes in SA. Future studies should address the personal, psychological, and behavioural factors of poor glycaemic control in SA at national level.
Keywords: HbA1c; Saudi Arabia; T2DM; meta-analysis; prevalence; risk factors.
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