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Background & objectives: Gestational diabetes is one of the most common medical problems during pregnancy, which has many negative consequences for mother and fetus. Knowledge of women about gestational diabetes and educational planning based on needs assessment can be effective for early diagnosis and reduction of possible complications of gestational diabetes. The aim of this study was to determine the educational needs of diabetic pregnant mothers in Meshgin health centers in 2018.
Methods: This descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted by- census on 689 pregnant women referring to Meshgin health centers in the spring and summer of 2018. Data were collected using a valid and reliable questionnaire of Hashemi-Beni and colleagues (2015) including three parts: demographic information, knowledge and educational needs assessment for mothers with gestational diabetes. Data were analyzed using SPSS 16 software.
Results: The mean age of pregnant women participating in the study was 26.94±6.22 years, with an average gestational age of 24.36±9.18 weeks. 22 persons of 689 pregnant women were diagnosed with gestational diabetes, and the prevalence of gestational diabetes was 3.2%. The mean score of knowledge of diabetic pregnant mothers about gestational diabetes questions was 9.95±3.79 out of 13. In all items of gestational diabetes, at least one third of diabetic mothers reported need for education.
Conclusions: Diabetic pregnant mothers, despite of high knowledge about gestational diabetes, still need to be trained in this regard. Therefore, it is necessary to hold leveled training courses to complete the information of mothers for better care of themselves