Sandra Darfour-Oduro co-authored a study that examined the impact of impact of physical activity on HbA1c among adults with Type 2 diabetes mellitus in African countries.
Sandra Darfour-Oduro, assistant professor of public health, collaborated with researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign on a systematic review and meta-analysis that examined the impact of physical activity on HbA1c among adults with Type 2 diabetes mellitus in Africa.
The prevalence of Type 2 Diabetes is increasing in Africa. Darfour-Oduro and her collaborators aimed to evaluate the impact of structured and supervised physical activity on HbA1c levels among adults with Type 2 diabetes and report on the pooled prevalence of physical activity in studies conducted in Africa.
The researchers conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis. They reviewed four online databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus and CINAHL) between Oct. 12, 2024, and Dec. 23, 2024. They included observational studies as well as experimental studies conducted in Africa that reported physical activity among patients diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. For the meta-analysis, the authors included studies reporting the prevalence of physical activity and studies evaluating the impact of structured and supervised physical activity on HbA1c.
The authors found that the pooled prevalence of physical activity was 56%. They also found that structured and supervised physical activity was associated with a 1.20 reduction in HbA1c levels.
The researchers identified barriers that affect participation in physical activity, and these ranged from patient knowledge and illness-related challenges to sociocultural and structural factors. The authors also found that support from peers and health care workers can encourage greater participation in physical activities.
For Darfour-Oduro, the key takeaway from this article is that physical activity can play an important role in improving the management of Type 2 diabetes in Africa.
“These findings show that diabetes programs should promote physical activity while addressing the social, cultural and environmental barriers that prevent people from being active,” Darfour-Oduro said. “Interventions should be affordable, accessible, culturally appropriate, and integrated into routine diabetes care and community settings.”