The pregnancy-related anxiety characteristics in women with gestational diabetes mellitus: why should we care?

Feng Fu,Li Fu,Palida Maimaiti,Shuping You,Yanni Wang,Ping Yan,Xinmin Mao,Yali Dai,Tingting Qiao

doi:10.1186/s12884-021-03887-2

Abstract

BackgroundGestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is very commonly-seen in clinical settings, and GDM patients may have higher levels of anxiety. It’s necessary to evaluate the anxiety level and potentially influencing factors in patients with GDM, to provide insights for the management of anxiety of GDM patients.MethodsPatients with GDM treated in our hospital from May, 2018 to May, 2020 were included. We evaluated the characteristics of patients and the scores of pregnancy-related anxiety scale for anxiety level, vulnerable personality style questionnaire (VPSQ) for personality, general self-efficacy scale (GSES) for self-efficacy, social support rating scale (SSRS) for social support level. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify the potential influencing factors of anxiety in GDM patients.ResultsA total of 386 GDM patients were included, the incidence of anxiety in patients with GDM was 59.07%. Anxiety was positively correlated with the susceptible personality (r = 0.604, p = 0.023), and it was negatively correlated with self-efficacy and social support (r = -0.586 and -0.598 respectively, all p < 0.05). The education level, monthly income, abnormal pregnancy (miscarriage, premature rupture of membranes) and cesarean section history and first pregnancy were the independent influencing factors for the anxiety in the patients with GDM (all p < 0.05).ConclusionsThe anxiety of GDM patients is very common, early care and interventions are warranted for those patients with abnormal pregnancy and cesarean section history, first pregnancy, lower education level, and less monthly income.

Highlights

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is very commonly-seen in clinical settings, and GDM patients may have higher levels of anxiety
3.025 0.017 2.162 0.009 5.107 0.012 susceptible personality, self-efficacy, and social support in GDM patients showed that pregnancy-related anxiety was positively correlated with the susceptible personality (r = 0.604, p = 0.023), and it was negatively correlated with self-efficacy and social support (r = -0.586 and -0.598 respectively, all p < 0.05)
The incidence of anxiety in patients with GDM in this present study is 59.07%, and we have found that for GDM patients with abnormal pregnancy and cesarean section history, first pregnancy, lower education level, and less monthly income, they have higher risk for anxiety, more attention and targeted interventions are needed for those patients

Summary

Introduction

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is very commonly-seen in clinical settings, and GDM patients may have higher levels of anxiety. Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) refers to the first occurrence or discovery of impaired glucose tolerance and diabetes during pregnancy [1]. It has been reported that compared with normal pregnant women, the incidence of pregnancy-induced hypertension, hyperamniotic fluid, neonatal hypoglycemia, and respiratory distress in GDM patients is significantly higher, and the incidence of cesarean section in GDM pregnant women is 1.58 times that of normal pregnant women [4]. The intrauterine hyperglycemia environment of GDM patients can increase the risk of obesity and diabetes in the offspring [5]. Effective management of GDM patients is an urgent problem to be solved.

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