Quality of Life and Psychological Factors in Women with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus

Diabetes is a major public health problem in India with prevalence rates reported to be between 4.6% and 14% in urban areas, and 1.7% and 13.2% in rural areas(1). Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a transient metabolic disorder, characterized by hyperglycemia that occurs and is first diagnosed during pregnancy, and is expected to resolve after childbirth (2). The onset of GDM puts a heavy strain on the positive connotation of pregnancy and is accompanied by feelings of fear, anxiety, uncertainty, a sense of losing control, elevated levels of stress, a poorer perception of one's health, reduced self-worth, and impaired QoL (3). Diabetes-specific instruments disregard the fact that women suffering from GDM expect their condition as temporarily limited to their pregnancy, unlike the chronic nature of diabetes mellitus type one or type two (4). The usage of numerous different types of questionnaires for QoL assessment leads to inconsistent study findings on this topic, resulting in heterogeneous recommendations. Accordingly, it seems reasonable to establish a solid foundation for further research by developing and validating an appropriate patient-reported outcome measure for QoL assessments in GDM. Mokhlesi et al (5) have completed important work by introducing the Persian questionnaire GDMQ-36 for the assessment of disease-specific QoL in women with GDM, which has been proven to be reliable and valid for the Iranian population. To our knowledge, it is so far the only questionnaire worldwide tailored to the QoL of gestational diabetics that incorporates all the mentioned aspects due to the fact that it is exactly tailored to the needs as well as disease- and treatment-related challenges gestational diabetics are facing. It contains 36 questions and consists of five aspects: (1) concerns about high-risk pregnancy, (2) perceived constraints, (3) complications of GDM, (4) medication and treatment, and (5) support In managing Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) is the lack of studies that explore how a woman's personal living conditions and biopsychosocial factors affect her adherence to treatment and overall quality of life (QoL). Aspects such as fear of hypoglycemia or concerns about fetal health can influence a woman's acceptance of treatment, even if the treatment is medically effective. Research is needed to understand how these personal and psychosocial factors impact a woman's ability to follow treatment plans and how improving QoL can enhance treatment adherence. By focusing on personalized care that takes these factors into account, Present study help create more effective and supportive treatment strategies for women with GDM.