Interventions promoting healthy behaviours for hypertension and diabetes management in South Asia: a scoping review

Abstract

Abstract Objectives Non-communicable diseases, particularly diabetes and hypertension, pose a major public health burden in South Asia. Existing syntheses of behavioural interventions are constrained by outdated evidence, limited geographic coverage and narrow analytical scope. This scoping review systematically identifies and characterises randomised controlled trials (RCTs) to map intervention targets, delivery approaches, behavioural mechanisms, implementation, outcomes, and health-system integration across South Asian settings. Methods We searched PubMed, Embase.com and Web of Science Core Collection from inception to 20 August 2026. Of 7,645 records identified, 4,915 were screened after duplicate removal, and 88 studies were included. Intervention characteristics, behavioural mechanisms, implementation, outcomes, and health-system integration were mapped using established intervention-description, behaviour-change, implementation, and chronic-care frameworks. Results Of the 88 included studies, 47 (53.4%) were conducted in India and 19 (21.6%) in Pakistan. Fifty-seven (64.8%) focused on diabetes, 27 (30.7%) on hypertension, and four on both conditions. Most interventions addressed multiple behavioural or self-management targets ( n = 60, 68.2%); 78 (88.6%) included education or counselling, 73 (83.0%) were delivered face-to-face, and 59 (67.0%) included repeated follow-up or support. Behavioural-mechanism mapping identified Capability in 86 studies (97.7%), Motivation in 56 (63.6%), and Opportunity in 51 (58.0%); categories were not mutually exclusive. For implementation-related dimensions, information on intervention implementation was documented in 81 studies (92.0%), whereas reach was documented in 47 (53.4%), adoption in 11 (12.5%), and maintenance in two (2.3%). In terms of health-system integration, all studies demonstrated individual- or family-level actions, 29 (33.0%) included organisational or community-level actions, and one (1.1%) included health-system or policy-level action. Conclusions Behavioural interventions for hypertension and diabetes in South Asia are geographically concentrated in India and Pakistan and focus predominantly on patient-level education and self-management support, while evidence on reach and representativeness, organisational adoption, maintenance and health-system integration remains limited. Future research should evaluate the integration, sustainability, and scalability of behavioural support within routine chronic-care settings.

The authors' abstract, as published at the source. BMC Public Health, 2026 · DOI ↗