Comparative Strategies of Medical Nutrition Therapy for Type 2 Diabetes Management in Western and African Contexts: A Scoping Review Protocol

This research project is a scoping review that aims to map Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) strategies for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) management across Western and African contexts. The review will synthesize evidence on the design, delivery, adaptation, and evaluation of MNT interventions for adults with T2D. The review will follow established scoping review methodology, including the framework proposed by Arksey and O’Malley and subsequent methodological refinements, as well as the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) reporting guideline. Eligibility criteria will be defined using the Population–Concept–Context (PCC) framework. The population includes adults with T2D, the concept focuses on MNT interventions, and the context includes Western and African settings. Literature searches will be conducted in multiple databases, including PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, Scopus, CABI Global Health, and African Journals Online, supplemented by grey literature and citation searching. Studies and program reports published between 2000 and 2025 will be included. Data will be charted using a framework-informed extraction form based on the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) and the Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance (RE-AIM) framework. Synthesized findings will be presented using descriptive mapping, thematic analysis, and comparative evidence matrices. The study will map intervention types, compare key characteristics of MNT strategies, summarize methods used to assess dietary adherence, clinical and implementation outcomes, and identify contextual barriers, facilitators, and knowledge gaps to support future research and culturally appropriate MNT program development.