Modifiable and emerging risk factors for type 2 diabetes in Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis protocol

BACKGROUND: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) remains a public health problem in low-income countries, including African countries. Risk factors of this disease in Africa are still unclear. This study will examine the modifiable and emerging risk factors associated with T2DM in Africa. METHODOLOGY: The study will include a systematic review and meta-analysis of published and unpublished empirical studies, reporting quantitative data only. We will conduct a search on scientific databases (e.g. Global Health), general online search engines (e.g. Google Scholar) and key websites for grey literature using a combination of key countries/geographic terms, risk factors (e.g. overweight/obesity) and T2DM (including a manual search of the included reference lists). We will use the Comprehensive Meta-Analysis Software (CMA) version 2.0 for data management and analysis. This protocol follows the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols (PRISMA-P). DISCUSSION: The systematic review and meta-analysis will provide a robust and reliable evidence base for policy makers and future research. This may help with identifying and implementing more cost-effective diabetes prevention strategies and improved resource allocation. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: This protocol has been registered with the PROSPERO international prospective register of systematic reviews. The reference number is CRD42016043027. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (10.1186/s13643-018-0801-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.