Role of Nutrition Informatics in the Self-Care Management of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: Review of Digital Interventions, Data-Driven Approaches, and Patient Outcomes

DOI

10.2991/978-94-6239-795-8_9How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus; Nutrition Informatics; PRISMA; Self-Management; Digital Health; Dietary Interventions; Low- and Middle-Income Countries; Health Equity

Abstract

Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) affects more than 537 million adults worldwide and is projected to rise further by 2045, with the steepest increases occurring in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Effective self-management depends on consistent glucose monitoring, medication adherence, and sustained dietary and behavioural change. Nutrition informatics — the application of digital technologies and data-driven methods to nutritional care — has emerged as a promising means of supporting these behaviours at scale, but the strength, consistency, and geographic generalisability of the underlying evidence remain unclear.

Objective: To systematically evaluate digital and data-driven nutrition interventions for T2DM self-management, with particular attention to their effect on glycaemic and weight-related outcomes, the tools and delivery mechanisms used, and their applicability beyond high-income settings.

Methods: PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library were searched from inception to June 2025, in accordance with PRISMA 2020 guidance. Search terms combined “type 2 diabetes,” “nutrition informatics,” “digital health,” “mobile health,” and “dietary management” with explicit terms for low-resource settings (“low- and middle-income countries,” “LMIC,” “developing countries,” “resource-limited settings”) to reduce geographic selection bias. Eligible studies enrolled adults with T2DM, evaluated a digital or data-driven nutritional intervention, reported a clinical or behavioural outcome, and used a randomised, quasi-experimental, cohort, or cross-sectional design. Risk of bias was assessed with Cochrane RoB 2.0 for randomised trials and ROBINS-I for non-randomised studies. Where studies reported comparable outcome metrics (means and standard deviations for HbA1c over comparable follow-up windows), standardised mean differences were planned for pooling under a random-effects model; where heterogeneity in outcome definitions, units, and follow-up precluded pooling, findings were synthesised narratively, consistent with Cochrane and PRISMA guidance on reviews where meta-analysis is not feasible.

Results: Fifty-seven studies met inclusion criteria out of 2,346 records screened. Interventions clustered into four categories: mobile health applications, web-based platforms, telehealth nutritional counselling, and artificial-intelligence-based decision support. Most trials (n=39) reported HbA1c reductions of 0.3–1.1% over 12–24 weeks, with multi-component interventions combining self-monitoring and real-time feedback showing the most consistent effects. Dietary adherence, self-efficacy, and patient engagement improved across most intervention types. Geographic distribution of included studies skewed heavily toward North America, Europe, and East Asia; comparatively few studies originated from sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia outside India, or Latin America, mirroring a pattern documented in the broader digital-health literature on LMICs. As a proof-of-concept quantitative synthesis, five independently verified RCTs with directly reported effect data were pooled under a random-effects model, yielding a mean difference of −0.39% HbA1c (95% CI −0.48 to −0.30; I²=0%) favouring digital intervention over control — directionally consistent with, though not a formal pooled estimate of, the full 57-study narrative synthesis.

Conclusions: Nutrition informatics can meaningfully support glycaemic control, dietary adherence, and patient empowerment in T2DM, but the current evidence base is concentrated in high-income, high-connectivity settings. Standardised outcome reporting, longer follow-up, formal economic evaluation, and deliberate inclusion of LMIC trials are needed before these tools can be recommended as a global standard of care.

Copyright

© 2026 The Author(s)

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Abhijeet Prasad Sinha
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/08
TI  - Role of Nutrition Informatics in the Self-Care Management of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: Review of Digital Interventions, Data-Driven Approaches, and Patient Outcomes
BT  - Proceedings of the International Conference on Advancing Economics (ICAE): Redefining Growth: Integrating Economy Society and Sustainability for a Resilient Future (ICAE 2026)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 139
EP  - 148
SN  - 2352-5428
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6239-795-8_9
DO  - 10.2991/978-94-6239-795-8_9
ID  - Sinha2026
ER  -