Knowledge on gestational diabetes mellitus and associated factors among pregnant women attending antenatal care clinics of North Shewa zone public hospitals, Oromia region, Central Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

BackgroundGlobally, the prevalence of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is currently rising. Assessing GDM knowledge and taking various public health actions will help pregnant women know more about the condition, resulting in its prevention.ObjectiveTo assess pregnant women’s knowledge of GDM and associated factors at antenatal care clinics of public hospitals in the North Shewa zone, Oromia region, Central Ethiopia.DesignCross-sectional study.SettingFive public hospitals of North Shewa zone, Oromia regional state, Central Ethiopia.ParticipantsA total of 417 pregnant women.MethodsA face-to-face interview was conducted. A 13-items tool was used to measure GDM knowledge. Multivariable binary logistic regression was fitted to identify factors associated with the knowledge of GDM. The adjusted OR (AOR) with 95% CI and a p<0.05 was used to determine statistical significance.ResultsOverall, 48% (95% CI 43.4% to 52.8%) of pregnant women had sufficient knowledge about GDM. The level of sufficient knowledge for GDM risk factors, screening/treatment and its consequences were 48%, 54.4% and 99%, respectively. Age group 15–24 years (AOR 3.49, 95% CI 1.05 to 11.59), attending secondary and above education (AOR 4.27, 95% CI 1.29 to 14.070, women whose partners attended primary school (AOR 3.83, 95% CI 1.36 to 10.78), history of GDM (AOR 3.36, 95% CI 1.68 to 6.71), history of hypertension (AOR 2.42, 95% CI 1.21 to 4.84), receiving preconception care (AOR 3.02, 95% CI 1.74 to 5.22) and being multigravida (AOR 3.19, 95% CI 1.52 to 6.67) were factors significantly associated with sufficient knowledge about GDM.ConclusionOverall, more than half of pregnant women have insufficient knowledge about GDM. Significant association between GDM knowledge and women’s age, women’s and partners’ educational status, preconception care, history of GDM and hypertension, and the number of pregnancies were detected. Therefore, to increase pregnant women’s GDM knowledge, health education programmes in the community and healthcare facilities should target the identified factors.

Assessment of the Level of Knowledge About Risk Factors, Prevention, and Treatment of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus in a Community Sample From Saudi Arabia

“…Assessment of the knowledge about the risk factors showed that 29.6% couldn't recognize that a family history of T2DM, obesity, or high maternal age can increase the risk of GDM. Earlier studies showed similar inappropriate levels of knowledge about GDM risk factors in Ethiopia [13] and Nigeria [14]. Bashir et al…”

Evaluation of Knowledge About Gestational Diabetes Among Primigravidae Versus Multigravidae in Saudi Arabia: A Quantitative Cross-Sectional Study

“…This suggests that respondents with a higher number of pregnancies were 0.35 times more likely to report awareness compared to those with fewer gestations. Likewise, Dissassa et al reported that women who had experienced previous pregnancies (multigravidae) were found to be three times more likely to have adequate knowledge of GDM compared to women who were pregnant for the first time (primigravidae) [19]. We believe that undergoing pregnancy more than one time, which may make the patient exposed to a larger number of doctors and nurses, may play an important role in increasing information about the condition and its complications, risk factors, and preventive methods.…”