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Cited by 171Gestational Diabetes Research and ManagementDiabetes Management and EducationMaternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and Postpartum

Women’s experiences of a diagnosis of gestational diabetes mellitus: a systematic review

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Craig, Louise, Sims, Rebecca, Glasziou, Paul, Thomas, Rae·2020·BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth
DOI 10.1186/s12884-020-2745-1PMC PMC7006162
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Abstract

Background: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) - a transitory form of diabetes induced by pregnancy - has potentially important short and long-term health consequences for both the mother and her baby. There is no globally agreed definition of GDM, but definition changes have increased the incidence in some countries in recent years, with some research suggesting minimal clinical improvement in outcomes. The aim of this qualitative systematic review was to identify the psychosocial experiences a diagnosis of GDM has on women during pregnancy and the postpartum period. Methods: We searched CINAHL, EMBASE, MEDLINE and PsycINFO databases for studies that provided qualitative data on the psychosocial experiences of a diagnosis of GDM on women across any stage of pregnancy and/or the postpartum period. We appraised the methodological quality of the included studies using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme Checklist for Qualitative Studies and used thematic analysis to synthesis the data. Results: Of 840 studies identified, 41 studies of diverse populations met the selection criteria. The synthesis revealed eight key themes: initial psychological impact; communicating the diagnosis; knowledge of GDM; risk perception; management of GDM; burden of GDM; social support; and gaining control. The identified benefits of a GDM diagnosis were largely behavioural and included an opportunity to make healthy eating changes. The identified harms were emotional, financial and cultural. Women commented about the added responsibility (eating regimens, appointments), financial constraints (expensive food, medical bills) and conflicts with their cultural practices (alternative eating, lack of information about traditional food). Some women reported living in fear of risking the health of their baby and conducted extreme behaviours such as purging and starving themselves. Conclusion: A diagnosis of GDM has wide reaching consequences that are common to a diverse group of women. Threshold cut-offs for blood glucose levels have been determined using the risk of physiological harms to mother and baby. It may also be advantageous to consider the harms and benefits from a psychosocial and a physiological perspective. This may avoid unnecessary burden to an already vulnerable population.

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Cited by

Sorted by citations

Authors
Craig, L., Sims, R., Glasziou, P., & Thomas, R.
Affiliations
Bond University (AU)
Corresponding author
Thomas, Rae
ORCID
Venue
BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
2020-02-07
Volume
20
Issue
1
Pages
76-76
ISSN
1471-2393 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1186/s12884-020-2745-1
PMC
PMC7006162
OpenAlex
W3008705314
Cited by
171
References
6
Citations by year
2026: 23 · 2025: 30 · 2024: 31 · 2023: 29 · 2022: 28 · 2021: 20 · 2020: 10
FWCI
2.56
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Bond University Research Portal (Bond University) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Funders
National Health and Medical Research Council, Australia (1106452, 1080042)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Obstetrics and Gynecology › Gestational Diabetes Research and Management
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism › Diabetes Management and Education
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Maternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and Postpartum
Keywords
gestational diabetes mellitus, psychosocial experiences, women's experiences, diagnosis communication, risk perception, social support, disease burden, dietary management, financial burden, cultural practices, postpartum period, pregnancy
MeSH terms
Emotional Adjustment, Communication, Female, Humans, Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice, Life Style, Pregnancy, Prenatal Care, Social Support, Diabetes, Gestational, Postpartum Period

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