Purpose-The aim of this review was to describe the self-management interventions used to improve risk factor control in stroke patients, and quantitatively assess their effects on: 1) overall risk factor control from lifestyle behaviour (i.e. physical activity, diet and nutrition, stress management, smoking, alcohol, and medication adherence), and medical risk factors (i.e. blood pressure, cholesterol, blood glucose); and 2) individual risk factors (e.g. physical activity, blood pressure, cholesterol).Methods-We systematically searched the PubMed, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews databases to September 2015 to identify relevant randomized controlled trials investigating self-management to improve stroke risk factors. The selfmanagement interventions were qualitatively described, and the data included in meta-analyses.Results-Fourteen studies were included for review. The model estimating an effect averaged across all stroke risk factors was not significant, but became significant when four low quality studies were removed (SMD = 0.10 [95% CI = 0.02 to 0.17], I 2 = 0%, p=0.01). Subgroup analyses revealed a significant effect of self-management interventions on lifestyle behaviour risk factors (SMD = 0.15 [95% CI = 0.04 to 0.25], I 2 = 0%, p=0.007) but not medical risk factors. Medication adherence was the only individual risk factor that self-management interventions significantly improved (SMD = 0.31 [95% CI = 0.07 to 0.56], I 2 = 0%, p=0.01).Conclusions-Self-management interventions appear to be effective at improving overall risk factor control, however, more high quality research is needed to corroborate this observation. SelfCorresponding author: Janice J. Eng, PhD, BSc(PT/OT), Department of Physical Therapy, University of British Columbia, 212-2177 Wesbrook Mall, Tel: 604-714-4108; Fax: 604-714-4168; janice.eng@ubc.ca.
Compliance with Ethical StandardsConflict of Interest: BMS declares that he has no conflict of interest. AJK declares that she has no conflict of interest. JJE declares that she has no conflict of interest. Ethical approval: All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. Informed consent: Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.