Prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus in women of childbearing age in Africa during 2000–2016: protocol of a systematic review and meta-analysis

INTRODUCTION African women of childbearing age are increasingly being exposed to risk factors for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), most particularly obesity. A differentiating feature of diabetes in women of childbearing age is that the disease may affect the mother and the developing fetus. Apart from mapping the extent of the problem, understanding the prevalence of T2DM in African women of childbearing age can help to galvanise targeted interventions for reducing the burden of T2DM. This is a protocol for a systematic review aiming to assess the prevalence of and risk factors for T2DM in women of childbearing age (15-49 years) in Africa. METHODS AND ANALYSES We will carry out a comprehensive literature search among a number of databases, using appropriate adaptations of the African search filter to identify diabetes prevalence studies, published from 2000 to 2016, among African women of childbearing age (15-49 years) according to the WHO definition. Full copies of articles identified through searches and considered to meet the inclusion criteria will be obtained for data extraction and synthesis. The analysis of the primary outcome (prevalent diabetes) will include two steps: (1) identification of data sources and documenting estimates and (2) application of the random-effects meta-analysis model to aggregate prevalence estimates and account for between-study variability in calculating the overall pooled estimates and 95% CI for diabetes prevalence. We will assess heterogeneity and publication bias using established methods. This systematic review will be reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses Protocol (PRISMA-P) 2015. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION Ethical approval is not required for this study, given that this is a protocol for a systematic review, which utilises published data. The findings of this study will be widely disseminated through peer reviewed publications and conference presentations. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER CRD42015027635.