Group diabetes classes lowered blood sugar and raised confidence more than routine care

The review

1. 01

   Who took part

   2,833 adults with type 2 diabetes in 21 studies, mostly in Europe and the United States. Their average age was about 60, four in ten were men, and four in five took medicine.

2. 02

   What they did

   Ten programmes had 6 to 20 hours of teaching in groups, spread over 4 weeks to 10 months. Sixteen studies compared them with routine care, four with a waiting list, and one study's comparison was unclear.

3. 03

   What happened

   Blood sugar was about half a percentage point lower at six and twelve months than in the other groups. Confidence and self-management skills were better at six months, but the studies varied a lot. Quality of life could not be judged, and the paper gives two different numbers of people for the six-month blood sugar result.

What the review found

1. HelpedMotivation

   Across two studies, group classes made people more confident at six months than the other groups did.

   • Action: Learn how the problem workstested
   • Rule: Practise with a groupused

   Pooled analysis of 2 studies with 326 people · vs people on routine care or a waiting list · they rated themselves · ⚠ whole programmes were tested, so no single part can be credited

2. HelpedOther outcomes

   Across four studies, group classes made people better at managing their diabetes at six months than the other groups did.

   • Action: Learn how the problem workstested
   • Rule: Practise with a groupused

   Pooled analysis of 4 studies with 534 people · vs people on routine care or a waiting list · they rated themselves · ⚠ the studies disagreed a lot; whole programmes were tested, so no single part can be credited

3. HelpedOther outcomes

   Across 13 studies, group classes lowered blood sugar more than the other groups did at six months.

   • Action: Learn how the problem workstested
   • Rule: Practise with a groupused

   Pooled analysis of 13 studies with 1,827 people · vs people on routine care or a waiting list · ⚠ whole programmes were tested, so no single part can be credited

4. HelpedOther outcomes

   Across 11 studies, group classes still lowered blood sugar more than the other groups did at 12 months.

   • Action: Learn how the problem workstested
   • Rule: Practise with a groupused

   Pooled analysis of 11 studies with 1,503 people · vs people on routine care or a waiting list · ⚠ whole programmes were tested, so no single part can be credited

Source