Prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus and related factors among the general adult population in Saudi Arabia between 2016–2022: A systematic review and meta-analysis of the cross-sectional studies

Health officials need current knowledge of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and related risk factors to prioritize prevention and control measures due to lifestyle changes, population structure, and the high incidence of diabetes in Saudi Arabia. The present systematic review aims to estimate the current pooled prevalence of T2DM and related risk factors among the general adult population in Saudi Arabia between 2016 and 2022. METHODS: PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases were searched for cross-sectional studies that reported T2DM among adults in Saudi Arabia and were published between December 31, 2016, and December 31, 2022. The PRISMA guidelines and the AXIS tool were employed to report and evaluate study quality and bias risk. RESULTS: The meta-analysis with a fixed effect model included 10 studies comprising 8457 general men and women adults aged 18 or older. The prevalence of T2DM was 28% (95% CI = 27–28, P < .001), and risks of T2DM in persons over 40 were nearly twice as high (OR = 1.74, 95% CI = 1.34–2.27) than in age under 40 among general adult population in Saudi Arabia between 2016–2022. This difference was statistically significant (P < .0001). CONCLUSION: The evidence from this review provided alarming and highlighted points about the prevalence of T2DM between 2016 and 2022, but there was high heterogeneity between the studies. Individuals aged 40 or older had a high risk of T2DM among the general adult population in Saudi Arabia.