Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33451308›Full record

Trial reportBMC public health2021

Intervention development of a brief messaging intervention for a randomised controlled trial to improve diabetes treatment adherence in sub-Saharan Africa.

Natalie Leon, Hazel Namadingo, Kirsty Bobrow, Sara Cooper, Amelia Crampin, Bruno Pauly, Naomi Levitt, Andrew Farmer

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in BMC public health, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 14 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
14citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

14 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Natalie Leon *South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa. Natalie.leon@mrc.ac.za.ORCID 0000-0001-9392-3426
Hazel Namadingo *Malawi Epidemiology and Intervention Research Unit, Lilongwe, Malawi.
Kirsty BobrowChronic Disease Initiative for Africa, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
Sara CooperSouth African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa.
Amelia CrampinMalawi Epidemiology and Intervention Research Unit, Lilongwe, Malawi.
Bruno PaulyDepartment of Diabetes and Endocrinology, Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Naomi LevittChronic Disease Initiative for Africa, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
Andrew FarmerNuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.

Funding

Medical Research Council MR/M016498/1
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundBrief messaging interventions, including Short Message Service (SMS) text-messages, delivered via mobile device platforms, show promise to support and improve treatment adherence. To understand how these interventions work, and to facilitate transparency, we need clear descriptions of the intervention development process.

methodWe describe and reflect on the process of designing and pretesting an evidence- and theory-informed brief messaging intervention, to improve diabetes treatment adherence in sub-Saharan Africa. We followed the stepwise approach recommended by the Medical Research Council, United Kingdom (MRC UK) Framework for Development and Evaluation of Complex Health Interventions and guidance for mobile health intervention development.

resultsWe used a four-phase, iterative approach that first generated primary and secondary evidence on the lived experience of diabetes, diabetes treatment services and mobile-phone use. Second, we designed a type 2 diabetes-specific, brief text-message library, building on our previous hypertension text-message library, as well as drawing on the primary and secondary data from phase one, and on expert opinion. We then mapped the brief text-messages onto behaviour change (COM-B) theoretical constructs. Third, we refined and finalised the newly developed brief text-message library through stakeholder consultation and translated it into three local languages. Finally, we piloted the intervention by pre-testing the automated delivery of the brief text-messages in the trial sites in Malawi and South Africa. The final SMS text Adherence suppoRt for people with type 2 diabetes (StAR2D) intervention was tested in a randomised controlled trial in Malawi and South Africa (trial registration: ISRCTN70768808 ).

conclusionThe complexity of public health interventions requires that we give more attention to intervention development work. Our documentation and reflection on the StAR2D intervention development process promotes transparency, replicability, assessment of intervention quality, and comparison with other studies.

Indexed as

Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2Text MessagingHumansMalawiSouth AfricaTreatment Adherence and ComplianceUnited KingdomBehaviour change theoryBrief SMS text-messagingFormative intervention developmentMobile health (mHealth)Qualitative researchSub-Saharan AfricaTreatment adherenceType 2 diabetes

Identifiers

PMID33451308
PMCPMC7811237

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.