Beyond pregnancy, awareness of future risk of developing diabetes in women with gestational diabetes mellitus

Abstract

Objective: Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) is a worldwide phenomenon and a public health problem. Women with a previous history of GDM are at increased risk for future episodes of GDM, pre-diabetes, and type 2 diabetes. GDM is a potential threat to maternal and child health in Pakistan.
The objective of this study was to assess Knowledge related to GDM and the risk perception for type 2 diabetes in women with gestational diabetes presenting at a tertiary care hospital in Karachi.

Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted at the National Institute of Diabetes & Endocrinology, Dow University of Health & Sciences using a self-administered validated questionnaire. The responses were scored, and participants were divided into poor & fair/good knowledge.

Results: A total 101 adult females with a current diagnosis or a previous history of GDM participated in the study. The mean age of the population fell in the range of 35-39. The mean number of children the participants had was 2 (30.69%). Five (4.9%) women were well versed with the knowledge of diabetes before this/last pregnancy. Thirty (29.7%) women had GDM in their previous pregnancy. Regarding the overall GDM knowledge assessment, 56 women had poor knowledge and 44 women had fair/good knowledge.

Conclusion: Our study concludes that there is a low knowledge and awareness among the participants regarding GDM. Further research should be done on this topic.

How to cite this: Ali HA, Khalid F, Baloch AA, Abbas FF. Beyond pregnancy, awareness of future risk of developing diabetes in women with gestational diabetes mellitus. JPES. 2024;1(1):23-28.