Lay Advisor Interventions in Rural Populations: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Age-adjusted death rates for heart disease are higher in rural areas than in urban areas. Lay advisors could potentially facilitate improvement in cardiovascular health outcomes. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to estimate lay advisor intervention effects on cardiovascular health metrics in rural populations.

Searches of databases including MEDLINE, CINAHL, and Scopus from 1975 through October 2017 retrieved 323 citations, of which 272 abstracts were reviewed. Two authors independently abstracted data from eligible studies. Analysis was conducted in March 2018.

Of 21 articles included in the systematic review, eight were RCTs and 13 were pre- and post-intervention studies. Of the RCTs, three took place in the U.S. Only two studies had low risk of bias. Using a random effects model, meta-analysis of six RCTs (1,641 participants) showed that lay advisor interventions in rural residents were associated with improvement in HbA1c of 0.4% (95% CI=0.13, 0.66, p=0.004, I²=60.65%). From four RCTs (873 participants), lay advisor interventions significantly improved BMI with pooled effect of 2.18 (95% CI=1.13, 3.24, p<0.001, I²=0.00%). Most studies had normal baseline blood pressure and cholesterol levels before intervention, and no significant effects were noted for these outcomes. Diverse types of measures used for diet, physical activity, and smoking precluded statistical synthesis.

Lay advisor interventions had significant positive effects on glycemic control and BMI for rural residents; however, further rigorous studies are needed in U.S. rural populations, and elements of effective lay advisor interventions require further investigation.