Effect of Educational Sessions on Improving Knowledge and Lifestyle among Rural Versus Urban Gestational Diabetic Women

Abstract

Background: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is accompanying by possibly risky impacts on the mother and fetus. Therefore, early detection of gestational diabetes mellitus allows enhancing pregnancy consequences and announcing women to suitable nutrition & lifestyle health promotion. Aim: To evaluate the effect of educational sessions on improving knowledge and lifestyle among rural versus urban gestational diabetic women. Subjects and Method: Design: Quasi-experimental pretest/posttest research design was utilized. Subjects:A purposive sample of 80 women carefully chosen by purposive sampling method as described in inclusion criteria, attended out-patient clinics of Maternal and Child Minia University Hospital, and suffer from GDM. Tools: The data were gathered by using an Arabic structured interviewing sheet including socio-demographic data, knowledge assessment tool, and lifestyle assessment tool. Results: 65.2% and 70.5% of both urban and rural groups lacked the essential knowledge regarding GDM in the pretest.82% and 80% of them respectively has an unhealthy lifestyle score. However, after the implementation of the educational sessions, it noticed that there was a greatly significant enhancement in their knowledge and healthy lifestyle. Conclusion: There was a statistically significant difference between total knowledge and total lifestyle score, P<0.001 pre and post educational program, so the application of a health educational session plays an important role in improving the knowledge and the lifestyle among women with gestational diabetes in rural and urban areas.Recommendation: Provide a continuous planned educational program and offered on regular basis for both urban and rural groups of women with gestational diabetes to improve their knowledge, the lifestyle and associated morbidity.