Biomedical Research

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.

Author(s): Radiana Staynova, Stanislav Gueorguiev, Elina Petkova-Gueorguieva, Penka Petleshkova
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