Background
Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is characterized by hyperglycemia during pregnancy. There are many diabetes-specific tools for collecting information validated in Brazilian Portuguese. However, there are no specific instruments to evaluate knowledge about GDM. The aim of this study was to cross-culturally adapt and validate the Brazilian Portuguese version of the Knowledge of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus questionnaire.
Methods
This study was conducted in southern Brazil from January to December 2023. Women with GDM or diabetes identified during pregnancy were considered eligible based on specific criteria. Clinical and demographic data were obtained by a medical records search. The Knowledge of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus questionnaire underwent a multistep adaptation process, including translation, back-translation, content validity assessment, and cognitive interviews. After administration to participants, internal consistency, item-total correlation, and intraclass correlation were evaluated. Confirmatory factor analysis was also conducted to ensure validity.
Results
In total, 155 pregnant women were recruited for the study. Most participants were aged 18–30 years, and hypertension was the main comorbidity (25,2%). Regarding schooling, most participants (58.7%) attended high school. The Brazilian Portuguese version of the Knowledge of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus instrument comprised 32 items. Intraclass correlation was established by two independent interviews with 57 participants, yielding a correlation coefficient of 0.79 (p < 0.01). The internal consistency (Cronbach’s α) was 0.81 overall but was less than 0.7 for the individual domains. Item-total correlations were computed, and confirmatory factor analysis indicated a good model fit. The final Brazilian Portuguese version of the questionnaire consisted of 32 items.
Conclusions
The Brazilian Portuguese version of the Knowledge of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus Questionnaire yielded a reliable and valid tool for evaluating diabetes knowledge in pregnant women.