A Scoping Review of Possible Solutions for Decreasing Socioeconomic Inequalities in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Abstract

Background: As socioeconomic inequalities are key factors in access and utilization of type 2 diabetes (T2D) services, the purpose of this scoping review was to identify solutions for decreasing socioeconomic inequalities in T2D. Methods: A scoping review of scientific articles from 2000 and later was conducted using PubMed, Web of Science (WOS), Scopus, Embase, and ProQuest databases. Using the Arksey and O’Malley framework for scoping review, articles were extracted, meticulously read, and thematically analyzed. Results: A total of 7204 articles were identified from the reviewed databases. After removing duplicate and nonrelevant articles, 117 articles were finally included and analyzed. A number of solutions and passways were extracted from the final articles. Solutions for decreasing socioeconomic inequalities in T2D were categorized into 12 main solutions and 63 passways. Conclusions: Applying identified solutions in diabetes policies and interventions would be recommended for decreasing socioeconomic inequalities in T2D. Also, the passways could be addressed as entry points to help better implementation of diabetic policies.

Keywords

• health policy
• scoping review
• socioeconomic inequality
• thematic analysis
• type 2 diabetes