A comparative study on diabetes self-management in pregnant women with gestational diabetes and pre-existing diabetes

Abstract

Pre-existing diabetes mellitus (Types 1 and 2) and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) are the most common medical complications in pregnancy. The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the lifestyle habits of pregnant women with pre-existing diabetes mellitus (PDM) and GDM. A comparativedescriptive study on diabetes self-management during pregnancy was carried out using pre-validated self-administrated questionnaire. A total of 99 women with PDM and GDM participated in the study. The questionnaire provided information about patient demographics, obstetric history, diabetes history, self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG), dietary habits and physical activity. The two groups of pregnant women did not differ significantly with regard to demographic and obstetric characteristics. Only 26.8% of the women in GDM group adhered to strict SMBG and were tested daily (compared with 83.7% in PDM group, p<0.001). There were significant differences regarding dietary habits-91.1% of the women in GDM group reported eating healthy balanced meals compared with 62.2% in PDM group, p=0.001. Physical activity habits were similar between both groups. This study confirms the importance of self-care and healthy lifestyle habits during pregnancy. Every pregnant woman with PDM or GDM should obtain appropriate diabetes self-management education and support.

Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Patients with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus Regarding Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…It is interesting to note that in the previous study, comparing the women with GDM and those with pre-existing diabetes, women in GDM group reported adhering to dietary restrictions more often, suggesting that this part of lifestyle management is successfully covered by in-hospital education. 33 At the same time, exercising and especially regular SMBG need to be explained in more detail and additional support should be proposed to those women who might need it. In this study, practice scores did not depend on baseline characteristics but rather were associated with knowledge and attitude, implying that interventions to enhance knowledge and attitude might lead to improvements in practice.…”