What is Gestational Diabetes Mellitus Awareness in Pregnant Women: A Survey Study

Objective: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is an increasing problem in our present day. It is important to increase the awareness of pregnant women regarding this issue for compliance in diagnosis, follow-up, and treatment processes. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the awareness of GDM and its complications and the approach to the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) in pregnant women. Methods: Fifty patients with GDM or pre-gestational diabetes mellitus (PGDM) after 24 weeks of gestation and 250 patients without GDM and PGDM history were evaluated. A questionnaire on GDM and its complications, consisting of 18 questions, was administered to the groups. Results: The mean obesity rate was higher (p=0.0001), body mass index was higher (p=0.0001), and a family history of diabetes was found to be more common (p=0.0001) in the group of pregnant women with GDM and PGDM. The rate of correct answers to the questions was 65% in all patients. The awareness level was found to be higher in those who had higher educational status (p=0.0001), those with higher income levels (p=0.0001), and smokers (p=0.03). OGTT rejection was found with a higher rate among those who thought that OGTT would harm the pregnancy and fetus among the pregnant women who did not have diabetes before the 24 th gestational week (p=0.006). Conclusion: Although the awareness of pregnant women regarding GDM was not at an insufficient level, there was a lack of knowledge regarding some issues.