Currently submitted to: JMIR Research Protocols
Date Submitted: Apr 21, 2026
Open Peer Review Period: Apr 22, 2026 - Jun 17, 2026
(currently open for review)
Warning: This is an author submission that is not peer-reviewed or edited. Preprints - unless they show as "accepted" - should not be relied on to guide clinical practice or health-related behavior and should not be reported in news media as established information.
Sex differences in the association of dietary pattern with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a systematic review protocol
ABSTRACT
Background:
Diabetes mellitus encompasses disorders characterized by hyperglycemia due to pancreatic B-cell dysfunction. Type 2 diabetes (T2D) constitutes over 90% of cases, on a background of genetic, metabolic, and environmental factors. Knowing that sex differences impact insulin resistance and glycemic control, this review aims to identify differences in adherence to dietary patterns between women and men with T2D.
Objective:
This systematic review aims to evaluate sex differences in dietary pattern adherence among individuals with type 2 diabetes and their implications for glycemic control.
Methods:
The protocol was developed using the Prepared Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Studies published until April 2026 will be identified by searching the following electronic databases: Medline, Scopus, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science. Three investigators will independently screen articles based on title and abstract, followed by a thorough analysis of selected full-text articles of interest. Articles on T2D and dietary pattern scores that include biological sex data will be included. The estimation of risk of bias will be performed using the Standard Quality Assessment Criteria for Evaluating Primary Research Papers from a Variety of Fields. In order to synthesize the results, a narrative analysis will be performed based on Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation.
Results:
This study will synthesize available evidence on sex-specific differences in dietary adherence among individuals with T2D. It is anticipated that most included studies will report higher dietary pattern scores among women compared to men, suggesting greater adherence to dietary recommendations. Findings will be summarized descriptively, including study characteristics, sample sizes, and key outcomes related to dietary adherence and glycemic control.
Conclusions:
This systematic review will provide a comprehensive overview of the role of sex in dietary adherence among individuals with T2D. Identifying sex-specific differences may inform the development of tailored nutritional strategies and interventions aimed at improving glycemic outcomes. Ultimately, this work highlights the importance of incorporating sex-based approaches in the management of T2D to optimize long-term health outcomes. Clinical Trial: PROSPERO – CRD42024340213.
Citation
Request queued. Please wait while the file is being generated. It may take some time.
Copyright
© The authors. All rights reserved. This is a privileged document currently under peer-review/community review (or an accepted/rejected manuscript). Authors have provided JMIR Publications with an exclusive license to publish this preprint on it's website for review and ahead-of-print citation purposes only. While the final peer-reviewed paper may be licensed under a cc-by license on publication, at this stage authors and publisher expressively prohibit redistribution of this draft paper other than for review purposes.