5th International Conference on Primary Care and Global Healthcare

Abdelrazig E. Abdelbari Mohamed is a Family Medicine Specialist and healthcare leader at Najran Health Cluster, Ministry of Health, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He holds an MBBS degree, MRCGP International, a postgraduate diploma in Obstetrics and Women's Health from the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland, and master's degrees in Diabetes and Endocrinology and Health Professions Education. With over two decades of experience, he has contributed to primary healthcare leadership, clinical service development, workforce education, quality improvement, and chronic disease management. His research interests include diabetes prevention, lifestyle interventions, public health, continuing professional development, and evidence-based primary care. His scholarly contributions include published research on lifestyle interventions for preventing type 2 diabetes in high-risk adults and continuing professional development among primary healthcare providers in reproductive health programmes in Saudi Arabia. His wider research portfolio addresses diabetes-related complications, technology-enabled glycaemic control, and clinical case reporting. He also contributes to systematic review projects examining family-based interventions for paediatric obesity and glucose-lowering therapies in patients with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease. He is committed to translating research evidence into practical healthcare improvements, strengthening preventive medicine, and advancing sustainable, patient-centred primary healthcare in Saudi Arabia and internationally

Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a growing global public health challenge, imposing substantial health and economic burdens on individuals and healthcare systems. Approximately 537 million people have diabetes and projected to reach 783 million by 2045. Lifestyle-related risk factors, including physical inactivity, unhealthy diets, and obesity, contribute to prediabetes and T2DM development. Evidence suggests that lifestyle interventions can delay or prevent progression from prediabetes to T2DM.

Objective: To map global evidence on the effectiveness of lifestyle interventions for preventing T2DM among high-risk adults in primary care settings, identify research gaps, and inform future research, policy, and practice.

Methods: A scoping review was conducted using a systematic search strategy across relevant databases. English-language articles published between 2000 and 2023 addressing lifestyle interventions for T2DM prevention were eligible. Data were extracted and synthesized using tabulation and thematic analysis, covering study characteristics, geographical distribution, methodologies, intervention duration, and key findings.

Results: Thirty articles were included, of which 19 were published during the preceding decade. Studies represented diverse geographical settings, with 23 (76.7%) conducted in primary care or community settings. Designs included randomized controlled trials, long-term follow-up studies, and real-world implementation research. Four themes emerged: global diabetes prevention trials; lifestyle intervention strategies; long-term outcomes of prevention programmes; and implementation of diabetes prevention in routine practice. Collectively, findings highlighted the potential of dietary modification, increased physical activity, and weight management to reduce diabetes risk among high-risk populations.

Conclusion: Lifestyle interventions represent an important strategy for preventing or delaying T2DM among high-risk adults. Primary care provide a valuable platform for delivering accessible, sustained, and contextually appropriate prevention programmes. However, further research is needed to strengthen implementation, evaluate long-term outcomes, and establish scalable, cost-effective approaches across diverse healthcare systems. These findings can inform primary care policy and support international efforts to reduce the growing burden of T2DM.