Socio-economic status and risk of gestational diabetes mellitus among Chinese women

Trends in the prevalence of gestational diabetes in Catalonia from 2010 to 2019

INTRODUCTION

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is globally increasing due to changes in risk factors such as gestational age, obesity, and socioeconomic status (SES). This study examined trends of GDM prevalence over ten years using a real-world Primary Health Care database from Catalonia (Spain).

METHODS

A retrospective analysis of pregnant women screened for GDM was conducted, using clinical and SES data from the SIDIAP database.

RESULTS

Among 221,806 women studied from 2010 to 2019,17,587 had GDM, equating to a 7.9% prevalence (95% CI 7.8-8.04). GDM subjects were older (33.5 ± 5.1 vs. 31.2 ± 5.6 years; p < 0.001) and had higher BMI (29.2 ± 5.1 vs .27.8 ± 4.8 kg/m²; p < 0.001) than non-GDM individuals. Overall GDM prevalence remained unchanged throughout the study, although an increase was observed in younger women (below 20 years: 1.28% [95% CI 0.59-2.42] in 2010 to 2.22% [95% CI 0.96-4.33] in 2019, p = 0.02; ages 20-25.9 years: 3.62% [95% CI 3.12-4.17] in 2010 to 4.63% [95% CI 3.88-5.48)] in 2019, p = 0.02). Age, BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2, deprived SES, and previous hypertension and dyslipidaemia were positively associated with GDM.

CONCLUSIONS

This study offers insights into GDM prevalence in Catalonia (Spain),showing overall stability except for a rising trend among younger women.

Subsidized gestational diabetes mellitus screening and management program in rural China: a pragmatic multicenter, randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

The increasing prevalence of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a major challenge, particularly in rural areas of China where control rates are suboptimal. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a GDM subsidy program in promoting GDM screening and management in these underserved regions.

METHODS

This multicenter, randomized controlled trial (RCT) was conducted in obstetric clinics of six rural hospitals located in three provinces in China. Eligible participants were pregnant women in 24-28 weeks' gestation, without overt diabetes, with a singleton pregnancy, access to a telephone, and provided informed consent. Participants were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to either the intervention or control groups using an internet-based, computer-generated randomization system. The intervention group received subsidized care for GDM, which included screening, blood glucose retesting, and lifestyle management, with financial assistance provided to health care providers. In contrast, the control group received usual care. The primary outcomes of this study were the combined maternal and neonatal complications associated with GDM, as defined by the occurrence of at least one pre-defined complication in either the mother or newborn. The secondary outcomes included the GDM screening rate, rates of glucose retesting for pregnant women diagnosed with GDM, dietary patterns, physical activity levels, gestational weight gain, and antenatal visit frequency for exploratory purposes. Primary and secondary outcomes were obtained for all participants with and without GDM. Binary outcomes were analyzed by the generalized linear model with a link of logistic, and odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were reported. Count outcomes were analyzed by Poisson regression, and incidence rate ratios with 95% CIs were reported.

RESULTS

A total of 3294 pregnant women were randomly assigned to either the intervention group (n = 1649) or the control group (n = 1645) between 15 September 2018 and 30 September 2019. The proportion of pregnant women in the intervention group who suffered from combined maternal and/or neonatal complications was lower than in the control group with adjusted OR = 0.86 (0.80 to 0.94, P = 0.001), and a more significant difference was observed in the GDM subgroup (adjusted OR = 0.66, 95% CI 0.47 to 0.95, P = 0.025). No predefined safety or adverse events of ketosis or ketoacidosis associated with GDM management were detected in this study. Both the intervention and control groups had high GDM screening rates (intervention: 97.2% [1602/1649]; control: 94.5% [1555/1645], P < 0.001). Moreover, The intervention group showed a healthier lifestyle, with lower energy intake and more walking minutes (P values < 0.05), and more frequent blood glucose testing (1.5 vs. 0.4 visits; P = 0.001) compared to the control group.

CONCLUSION

In rural China, a GDM care program that provided incentives for both pregnant women and healthcare providers resulted in improved maternal and neonatal health outcomes. Public health subsidy programs in China should consider incorporating GDM screening and management to further enhance reproductive health.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

China Clinical Trials Registry ChiCTR1800017488. https://www.chictr.org.cn/.

A Healthy, Low-Carbohydrate Diet During Pregnancy Is Associated With a Reduced Risk of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus

CONTEXT

Evidence on the associations of low-carbohydrate diet (LCD) during pregnancy with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) has been limited and inconsistent.

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to prospectively evaluate the risk of GDM associated with the LCD considering the quality of macronutrients.

METHODS

All participants were from a prospective cohort in Wuhan, China. The overall, healthy LCD (emphasizing low-quality carbohydrates, plant protein, and unsaturated fat), and unhealthy LCD (emphasizing high-quality carbohydrates, animal protein, and saturated fat) scores were calculated according to the percentage of energy intake from carbohydrates, protein, and fat. GDM was screened by a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test between 24 and 28 weeks. Poisson regression models were used to calculate relative risks (RRs) and 95% CIs.

RESULTS

Of 2337 pregnant women, 257 (11.0%) were diagnosed with GDM. Overall LCD score was not associated with risk of GDM, but the healthy and unhealthy LCD scores were associated with the risk of GDM. The multivariable-adjusted RRs (95% CI) were 0.68 (0.49-0.94) and 1.52 (1.11-2.08) for healthy and unhealthy LCD scores comparing the highest with the lowest quartile. Substituting high-quality carbohydrates for low-quality carbohydrates and animal protein, and substituting unsaturated fat for saturated fat, were associated with a 13% to 29% lower risk of GDM.

CONCLUSION

A healthy LCD during pregnancy characterized by high-quality carbohydrates, plant protein, and unsaturated fat was associated with a lower risk of GDM, whereas an unhealthy LCD consisting of low-quality carbohydrates, animal protein, and saturated fat was associated with a higher risk of GDM.

Influence of Socioeconomic Status on the Association Between Pregnancy Complications and Premature Coronary Artery Disease: Linking Three Cohorts

Background

We hypothesized that there is an influence of socioeconomic status (SES) on association between pregnancy complications and premature coronary artery disease (PCAD) risk.

Materials and Methods

This project involved a data linkage approach merging three databases of South Australian cohorts using retrospective, age-matched case-control study design. Cases (n = 721), that is, women aged <60 years from Coronary Angiogram Database of South Australia (CADOSA) were linked to South Australian Perinatal Statistics Collection (SAPSC) to ascertain prior pregnancy outcomes and SES. Controls (n = 194) were selected from North West Adelaide Health Study (NWAHS), comprising women who were healthy or had health conditions unrelated to CAD, age matched to CADOSA (±5 years), and linked to SAPSC to determine prior pregnancy outcomes and SES. This project performed comparative analysis of SES using socioeconomic indexes for areas-index of relative socioeconomic advantage and disadvantage (SEIFA-IRSAD) scores across three databases.

Results

Findings revealed that SEIFA-IRSAD scores at the time of pregnancy (p-value = 0.005) and increase in SEIFA-IRSAD scores over time (p-value = 0.040) were significantly associated with PCAD. In addition, when models were adjusted for SEIFA-IRSAD scores at the time of pregnancy and age, risk factors including placenta-mediated pregnancy complications such as preterm birth (odds ratio [OR] = 4.77, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.74-13.03) and history of a miscarriage (OR = 2.14, 95% CI: 1.02-4.49), and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors including smoking (OR = 8.60, 95% CI: 3.25-22.75) were significantly associated with PCAD. When the model was adjusted for change in SEIFA-IRSAD scores (from CADOSA/NWAHS to SAPSC) and age, pregnancy-mediated pregnancy complications including preterm birth (OR = 4.40, 95% CI: 1.61-12.05) and history of a miscarriage (OR = 2.09, 95% CI: 1.00-4.35), and CVD risk factor smoking (OR = 8.75, 95% CI: 3.32-23.07) were significantly associated with PCAD.

Conclusion

SES at the time of pregnancy and change in SES were not associated with PCAD risk.

Child rearing or childbearing? Risk of cardiovascular diseases associated to parity and number of children

BACKGROUND

An increased risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) has been associated with women's parity, but whether or not this association reflects a direct pregnancy effect, or exposure to factors related to childrearing, still appears unclear. We assessed the CVD risk associated with number of children separately by gender and tested effect modification by socioeconomic position (SEP) and employment status, in order to elucidate the possible mechanisms underlying this association.

METHODS

The study population was composed of 20,904 men and 25,246 women who were interviewed in one of two National Health Surveys conducted in 2000 and 2005 in Italy. These subjects were followed for CVD incidence up to 2014 through record-linkage with national archives of mortality and hospitalisations. CVD risk was estimated by Cox regression models that were adjusted for socio-demographics, perceived health, lifestyles, biological CVD risk factors and for other potential confounders.

RESULTS

CVD incidence was significantly increased among men with 3 or more children (HR = 1.26, 95% CI: 1.02-1.56) and among women with 2 and with 3 or more children (HR = 1.42, 95% CI: 1.10-1.83; and HR = 1.39, 95% CI: 1.03-1.87, respectively) compared to subjects without children and no significant gender differences were observed. Subjects with lower SEP displayed stronger associations with parity and a higher number of children for both genders; by contrast, no modifying effect of employment status was observed.

CONCLUSIONS

Taken together, the significant association between higher parity and CVD risk in both genders, and the higher risk of CVD associated with higher parity among lower SEP parents, suggests that childrearing has a potential effect on the development of CVD that is more pronounced among disadvantaged families, although a concurrent effect of childbearing cannot be completely excluded.

How does high socioeconomic status affect maternal and neonatal pregnancy outcomes? A population-based study among American women

Objectives

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of high SES on multiple pregnancy outcomes, while controlling for confounding factors.

Methods

Using the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Nationwide Inpatient Sample (HCUP-NIS), the largest American medical database including 20 % of annual hospital admissions, we studied the years 2004-2014 inclusively. We conducted a population-based retrospective cohort study consisting of women from different median household income quartiles throughout the United States. Women in the highest household income quartile were compared to those in all other lower income quartiles combined. Chi-square and Fischer exact tests were used to compare demographic and baseline characteristics. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses were carried to adjust for confounding factors, including ethnicity, pre-existing conditions, smoking status, obesity, illicit drug use and insurance type.

Results

Among 5,448,255 deliveries during the study period with income data, 1,218,989 deliveries were to women from the wealthiest median household income. These women were more likely to be older, Caucasian, and have private medical insurance (P < 0.05, all). They were less likely to smoke, have chronic hypertension, pre-gestational diabetes, and use illicit drugs (P < 0.05, all). They were less likely to develop complications including gestational hypertension (aOR 0.87 95 %CI 0.85-0.88), preeclampsia (aOR 0.88 95 %CI 0.86-0.89), eclampsia (aOR 0.81 95 %CI 0.66-0.99), gestational diabetes (aOR 0.91 95 %CI 0.89-0.92), preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM) (aOR 0.92 95 %CI 0.88-0.96), preterm birth (aOR 0.90 95 %CI 0.89-0.92), and placental abruption (aOR 0.89 95 %CI 0.85-0.93). They were less likely to have an intra-uterine fetal death (IUFD) (aOR 0.80 95 %CI 0.74-0.86), but more likely to deliver neonates with congenital anomalies (aOR 1.10 95 %CI 1.04-1.20).

Conclusions

Higher SES predisposes to better pregnancy outcomes, even when controlled for confounding factors such as ethnicity and underlying baseline health status. Efforts are required in order to eliminate health disparities in pregnancy.

Socioeconomic status, maternal risk factors, and gestational diabetes mellitus across reproductive years: a Finnish register-based study

INTRODUCTION

To evaluate the degree to which socioeconomic differences in gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) are accounted for by differences in maternal risk factors, to assess whether age-related risks of GDM differ across socioeconomic groups, and to identify priority populations for future interventions.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

We performed a register-based study using data from the Finnish Medical Birth Register and Statistics Finland on the 474 166 women who gave birth in Finland from 2008 to 2015. We collected information on GDM based on the International Classification of Diseases 10th Revision codes O24.4 and O24.9. We used multivariable models to examine the association between socioeconomic status, maternal risk factors, and GDM. We further tested interaction on multiplicative and additive scales.

RESULTS

The incidence of GDM was 8.7% in 2008-2011 and 12.5% in 2012-2015. Lower socioeconomic levels than upper level employees were associated with an increased risk of GDM. Up to 64.0% of socioeconomic differences in GDM were attributed to body mass index and 5.5% to smoking. There was evidence for effect modification. Relative to women in the upper level category who were aged less than 19 years, GDM adjusted ORs (95% CIs) for women 35 years or older in upper level versus long-term unemployed groups were 3.28 (2.08-5.18) and 5.29 (3.35-8.35), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

There is a paradox that socioeconomic advantage increases the incidence of GDM at the population level while reducing the incidence of GDM within the population. Nevertheless, socioeconomic differences in GDM persist and widen with increasing maternal age, even after accounting for maternal risk factors.

Analysis of the Incidence of Macrosomia in Japan by Parental Nationalities at 5-year Intervals From 1995 to 2020

OBJECTIVES

We investigated trends in the incidence rate of macrosomia and its association with parental nationalities using Vital Statistics data in Japan.

METHODS

We used singleton birth data every 5 years from 1995 to 2020. The incidence rate of macrosomia was calculated according to specific attributes (maternal age, infant's sex, parental nationalities, parity, and household occupation) over time (years). In addition, a log-binomial model was used to investigate the relationship between the incidence of macrosomia and the attributes. This study compared Korea, China, the Philippines, Brazil, and other countries with Japan in terms of parental nationalities. "Other countries" indicates countries except for Japan, Korea, China, the Philippines, and Brazil.

RESULTS

The study included 6 180 787 births. The rate of macrosomia in Japan decreased from 1.43% in 1995 to 0.88% in 2020, and the decrease was observed across all parental nationalities. The rates for Japanese parents were the lowest values among parental nationalities during the timespan investigated. Multivariate regression analysis showed that mothers from Korea, China, the Philippines, Brazil, and other countries had a significantly higher risk of macrosomia than those from Japan (risk ratio, 1.91, 2.82, 1.59, 1.74, and 1.64, respectively). Furthermore, fathers from China, the Philippines, Brazil, and other countries had a significantly higher risk of macrosomia than those from Japan (risk ratio, 1.66, 1.38, 1.88, and 3.02, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

The rate of macrosomia decreased from 1995 to 2020 in Japan for parents of all nationalities, and the risk of macrosomia incidence was associated with parental nationality.

Analysis of an Association between Preterm Birth and Parental Educational Level in Japan Using National Data

Preterm birth rate depending on parental educational level in recent years has not been surveyed in Japan. In this study, we showed the trend in preterm birth rate depending on parental educational level from 2000 to 2020 by linking data from the Census regarding individuals' educational level and parents in birth data of the vital statistics. Four types of parental educational level, namely junior high school, high school, technical school or junior college, and university or graduate school, were compared. Slope and relative indexes of inequality for preterm birth by educational level were computed by binomial models. Data on 3,148,711 births and 381,129,294 people were used in the analysis, and data on 782,536 singleton births were used after data linkage. The preterm birth rate (%) for junior high school graduate mothers and fathers was 5.09 and 5.20 in 2020, respectively. Contrarily, the preterm birth rate (%) for parents who graduated from a university or graduate school was 4.24 for mothers and 4.39 for fathers, and the rate tended to increase as educational level decreased, irrespective of parental gender. Results of inequality indexes showed that a statistically significant inequality by parental educational level persisted from 2000 to 2020.

A global view of hypertensive disorders and diabetes mellitus during pregnancy

Two important maternal cardiometabolic disorders (CMDs), hypertensive disorders in pregnancy (HDP) (including pre-eclampsia) and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), result in a large disease burden for pregnant individuals worldwide. A global consensus has not been reached about the diagnostic criteria for HDP and GDM, making it challenging to assess differences in their disease burden between countries and areas. However, both diseases show an unevenly distributed disease burden for regions with a low income or middle income, or low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs), or regions with lower sociodemographic and human development indexes. In addition to many common clinical, demographic and behavioural risk factors, the development and clinical consequences of maternal CMDs are substantially influenced by the social determinants of health, such as systemic marginalization. Although progress has been occurring in the early screening and management of HDP and GDM, the accuracy and long-term effects of such screening and management programmes are still under investigation. In addition to pharmacological therapies and lifestyle modifications at the individual level, a multilevel approach in conjunction with multisector partnership should be adopted to tackle the public health issues and health inequity resulting from maternal CMDs. The current COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted health service delivery, with women with maternal CMDs being particularly vulnerable to this public health crisis.

Gestational Diabetes Mellitus Among Pregnant Women Attending Ante-natal Clinic at a Secondary Care Health Facility in Haryana, India

Introduction: Gestational diabetes has serious health effects during pregnancy and childbirth. We estimated the occurrence of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) among pregnant women in a secondary care hospital in Haryana.

Methods: It was a hospital-based cross-sectional study, done in an ante-natal clinic (ANC) at a sub-district hospital (SDH), Faridabad district of Haryana, India. Eligible pregnant women attending the ANC clinic were recruited. An oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) with 75 g of glucose was done with a collection of blood for fasting blood sugar (FBS) and two-hour post-OGTT blood glucose. A pre-tested semi-structured interview schedule was administered. Both the modified International Association of the Diabetes and Pregnancy Study Groups criteria (IADPSGC) and the Diabetes in Pregnancy Study Group of India (DIPSI) criteria were used. Data were presented as percentages, means, standard deviation, and 95% confidence interval (CI). Bi-variable and multi-variable logistic regressions were done. The level of significance was set at 0.05.

Results: Of the 623 eligible participants, 66.1% were within the 20-25 age group. The GDM was found in 14.1% (95%CI: 11.5-17.1) participants as per modified IADPSG criteria and 6.7% (95%CI: 4.9-9.0) participants as per DIPSI criteria, respectively. Increasing age [adjusted odds ratio (AOR): 1.24 (95% CI: 1.05-1.47), p=0.008] and increasing years of schooling [AOR: 1.19 (1.01-1.41), p=0.032] were significantly associated with GDM by DIPSI criteria. Family history of DM was also found to have an increased odds with GDM using modified IADPSG criteria [AOR 2.87 (95% CI: 1.09-7.54), p=0.032]. 

Conclusion: Considerable proportion of pregnant women were found to have GDM in a Sub-district hospital at Ballabgarh in north India. The study highlighted the need and generated evidence about the feasibility of GDM screening utilizing routine staff in a secondary care facility.

Trends and associated maternal characteristics of antidiabetic medication use among pregnant women in South Korea

The prevalence of diabetes during pregnancy and the need for the treatment are increasing. We aimed to investigate antidiabetic medications (ADM) use among pregnant women and their characteristics. Using Korea’s nationwide healthcare database, we included women aged 15–49 years with births during 2004–2013. The prevalence and secular trend of ADM use were assessed in 3 periods: pre-conception period, first trimester, and second/third trimesters. To compare maternal characteristics between pregnancies with and without ADM prescription, we used the χ² or Fisher’s exact test and Cochran-Armitage trend test. The prescription patterns analyzed by calendar year, age, insurance type, income, area, and medical institution. Of 81,559 pregnancies, 222 (0.27%) and 305 (0.37%) were exposed ADM during pre-conception and pregnancy periods, respectively. ADM prescriptions increased significantly by an 11.3-fold in second/third trimesters, while a 2.9-fold in first trimester. ADM use is more prevalent in women aged older and living in urban areas. Metformin was most used in the pre-conception period, while insulins were most during pregnancy. About 0.4% of women received ADM during pregnancy; a rate was lower than that in western countries. Non-recommended medications were more common in first trimester, which warrants pregnancy screening for women taking ADM.

The impact of educational attainment on the occurrence of gestational diabetes mellitus in two successive pregnancies of Finnish primiparous women: a population-based cohort study

AIMS

To assess the impact of educational attainment on the occurrence and recurrence of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in two successive pregnancies in primiparous women.

METHODS

This is a population-based observational cohort study including all 2347 Finnish women without previously diagnosed diabetes, aged ≥ 20 years from the city of Vantaa, Finland, who gave birth to their first and second child between 2009 and 2015. National registries provided data on study participants. We divided the population into four groups according to the presence of GDM in the two pregnancies (GDM-/-, n = 1820; GDM-/+, n = 223; GDM+/-, n = 113; GDM+/+, n = 191).

RESULTS

The occurrence of GDM in the first pregnancy was 13.0% (n = 304) and 17.6% (n = 414) in the second. The recurrence rate of GDM was 62.8%. The four groups did not differ in relation to educational attainment (p = 0.11). In multinomial regression analysis, educational attainment protected from GDM in the second pregnancy [relative risk ratio 0.93 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.86-0.99) per year of schooling for being GDM-/+ compared with GDM-/-]. In multivariate logistics models, prepregnancy body mass index at the first pregnancy [odds ratio (OR) 1.53 per 1-standard deviation (SD) (95% CI 1.22-1.91)], first-born birth weight z-score [OR 1.30 per 1-SD (95% CI 1.00-1.67)], and inter-pregnancy weight change [OR 1.66 per 1-SD (95% CI 1.27-2.16)], but not educational attainment, predicted recurrence of GDM.

CONCLUSIONS

The recurrence rate of GDM was high. Education protected from novel GDM in the second pregnancy, but was not associated with GDM recurrence.

Social and economic factors, maternal behaviours in pregnancy and neonatal adiposity in the PANDORA cohort

BACKGROUND

Australian Indigenous women experience high rates of social disadvantage and type 2 diabetes (T2D) in pregnancy, but it is not known how social factors and maternal behaviours impact neonatal adiposity in offspring of women with hyperglycaemia in pregnancy.

METHODS

Participants were Indigenous (n = 404) and Europid (n = 240) women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) or T2D in pregnancy and their offspring in the Pregnancy and Neonatal Diabetes Outcomes in Remote Australia (PANDORA) study. Social, economic factors, and maternal behaviours were measured in pregnancy and six neonatal anthropometric outcomes were examined after birth.

RESULTS

On univariate analysis, maternal education < 12 years (p = 0.03), unemployment (p = 0.001), welfare income vs no welfare income (p = 0.001), lower area based socio-economic score (p < 0.001), and fast food intake > 2 times/week (p = 0.002) were associated with increased sum of skinfolds (SSF) in offspring. Smoking was significantly associated with a reduction in anthropometric measures, except SSF. In multivariable models adjusted for ethnicity, BMI and hyperglycaemia, social and economic factors were no longer significant predictors of neonatal outcomes. Smoking was independently associated with a reduction in length, head circumference and fat free mass. Frequent fast food intake remained independently associated with SSF (β-coefficient 1.08 mm, p = 0.02).

CONCLUSION

In women with hyperglycaemia in pregnancy, social factors were associated with neonatal adiposity, particularly skinfold measures. Promoting smoking cessation and limited intake of energy-dense, nutrient-poor foods in pregnancy are important to improve neonatal adiposity and lean mass outcomes. Addressing inequities in social and economic factors are likely to be important, particularly for Indigenous women or women experiencing social disadvantage.

Mechanism associated with aberrant lncRNA MEG3 expression in gestational diabetes mellitus

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a common metabolic condition during pregnancy. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been found to seve critical roles in GDM development; however, the role of lncRNA maternally expressed gene 3 (MEG3) in GDM remains unclear. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the expression and role of MEG3 in GDM, and to further explore the underlying mechanism. The levels of lncRNA MEG3 in the blood and placental villous tissues of pregnant women with GDM was measured using reverse transcription-quantitative PCR. Bioinformatics analysis and dual luciferase reporter assays were performed to investigate the association between lncRNA MEG3 and microRNA (miR)-345-3p. Transfection was subsequently performed on HTR-8/SVneo cells, a human chorionic trophoblast cell line, to assess the role of lncRNA MEG3 in GDM. In particular, cell viability, cellular migratory/invasive ability and cell apoptosis were analyzed using MTT assay, Transwell assay and flow cytometry, respectively. Compared with pregnant women without GDM, lncRNA MEG3 levels were significantly elevated in the blood and placental villous tissues of GDM pregnant women. miR-345-3p was identified to be a direct target of lncRNA MEG3 using dual luciferase reporter assay, which was found to be reduced in pregnant women with GDM. Further analysis demonstrated that lncRNA MEG3 overexpression significantly inhibited HTR-8/SVneo cell viability, and prevented cell migration and invasion in addition to inducing cell apoptosis. In contrast, lncRNA MEG3 knockdown significantly enhanced HTR-8/SVneo cell viability, promoted cell migration/invasion and reduced cell apoptosis. Inhibiting miR-345-3p expression negated all the observed physiological effects of lncRNA MEG3 knockdown on HTR-8/SVneo cells. In conclusion, lncRNA MEG3 levels were abnormally upregulated in GDM, which participated in the development and progression of GDM by regulating human chorionic trophoblast cell physiology. Therefore, lncRNA MEG3 may be a potential diagnostic and therapeutic target for GDM.

A simple model to predict risk of gestational diabetes mellitus from 8 to 20 weeks of gestation in Chinese women

Background

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is associated with adverse perinatal outcomes. Screening for GDM and applying adequate interventions may reduce the risk of adverse outcomes. However, the diagnosis of GDM depends largely on tests performed in late second trimester. The aim of the present study was to bulid a simple model to predict GDM in early pregnancy in Chinese women using biochemical markers and machine learning algorithm.

Methods

Data on a total of 4771 pregnant women in early gestation were used to fit the GDM risk-prediction model. Predictive maternal factors were selected through Bayesian adaptive sampling. Selected maternal factors were incorporated into a multivariate Bayesian logistic regression using Markov Chain Monte Carlo simulation. The area under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was used to assess discrimination.

Results

The prevalence of GDM was 12.8%. From 8th to 20th week of gestation fasting plasma glucose (FPG) levels decreased slightly and triglyceride (TG) levels increased slightly. These levels were correlated with those of other lipid metabolites. The risk of GDM could be predicted with maternal age, prepregnancy body mass index (BMI), FPG and TG with a predictive accuracy of 0.64 and an AUC of 0.766 (95% CI 0.731, 0.801).

Conclusions

This GDM prediction model is simple and potentially applicable in Chinese women. Further validation is necessary.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12884-019-2374-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Association between maternal education level and gestational diabetes mellitus: a meta-analysis

Aims: The association between maternal education and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) has been discussed in considerable studies, yet the inconsistent findings still exist. The aim of this study is to investigate whether maternal education level is associated with GDM risk.Material and methods: PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Cochrane Library databases were searched up to October 2018. Observational studies on the association between maternal education level and GDM risk were included. The pooled odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for highest versus lowest level of maternal education were estimated using a random-effects model.Results: As compared to lowest education level, the pooled OR for women with highest education level was 0.75 (95% CI: 0.53-1.05). After adjusting for body mass index (BMI) and family history of diabetes, the estimated effect of maternal education on GDM were 0.68 (95% CI: 0.57-0.80) and 0.75 (95% CI: 0.60-0.92), respectively.Conclusions: Our results indicate that there is no significant association between maternal education level and risk of GDM.

Impact of maternal income on the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus in primiparous women

AIMS

Findings concerning the impact of socio-economic status on the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) are inconclusive and little is known about the simultaneous impact of income and educational attainment on the risk of GDM. This study aims to assess the impact of maternal prepregnancy income in combination with traditional GDM risk factors on the incidence of GDM in primiparous women.

METHODS

This is an observational cohort study including 5962 Finnish women aged ≥ 20 years from the city of Vantaa, Finland, who delivered for the first time between 2009 and 2015, excluding women with pre-existing diabetes mellitus. The Finnish Medical Birth Register, Finnish Tax Administration, Statistics Finland, Social Insurance Institution of Finland and patient healthcare records provided data for the study. We divided the study population according to five maternal income levels and four educational attainment levels.

RESULTS

Incidence of GDM decreased with increasing income level in primiparous women (P < 0.001 for linearity, adjusted for smoking, age, BMI and cohabiting status). In an adjusted two-way model, the relationship was significant for both income (P = 0.007) and education (P = 0.039), but there was no interaction between income and education (P = 0.52).

CONCLUSIONS

There was an inverse relationship between both maternal prepregnancy taxable income and educational attainment, and the risk of GDM in primiparous Finnish women.

Prevalence and risk factors of gestational diabetes mellitus in Asia: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a of the major public health issues in Asia. The present study aimed to determine the prevalence of, and risk factors for GDM in Asia via a systematic review and meta-analysis.

METHODS

We systematically searched PubMed, Ovid, Scopus and ScienceDirect for observational studies in Asia from inception to August 2017. We selected cross sectional studies reporting the prevalence and risk factors for GDM. A random effects model was used to estimate the pooled prevalence of GDM and odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI).

RESULTS

Eighty-four studies with STROBE score ≥ 14 were included in our analysis. The pooled prevalence of GDM in Asia was 11.5% (95% CI 10.9-12.1). There was considerable heterogeneity (I2 > 95%) in the prevalence of GDM in Asia, which is likely due to differences in diagnostic criteria, screening methods and study setting. Meta-analysis demonstrated that the risk factors of GDM include history of previous GDM (OR 8.42, 95% CI 5.35-13.23); macrosomia (OR 4.41, 95% CI 3.09-6.31); and congenital anomalies (OR 4.25, 95% CI 1.52-11.88). Other risk factors include a BMI ≥25 kg/m2 (OR 3.27, 95% CI 2.81-3.80); pregnancy-induced hypertension (OR 3.20, 95% CI 2.19-4.68); family history of diabetes (OR 2.77, 2.22-3.47); history of stillbirth (OR 2.39, 95% CI 1.68-3.40); polycystic ovary syndrome (OR 2.33, 95% CI1.72-3.17); history of abortion (OR 2.25, 95% CI 1.54-3.29); age ≥ 25 (OR 2.17, 95% CI 1.96-2.41); multiparity ≥2 (OR 1.37, 95% CI 1.24-1.52); and history of preterm delivery (OR 1.93, 95% CI 1.21-3.07).

CONCLUSION

We found a high prevalence of GDM among the Asian population. Asian women with common risk factors especially among those with history of previous GDM, congenital anomalies or macrosomia should receive additional attention from physician as high-risk cases for GDM in pregnancy.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

PROSPERO (2017: CRD42017070104 ).

Indicators of socio-economic status and risk of gestational diabetes mellitus in pregnant women in urban Tianjin, China

AIMS

To examine associations between the indicators of socio-economic status (SES) and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).

METHODS

From 2010 to 2012, 17 659 women underwent glucose challenge test (GCT) and oral glucose tolerance test if GCT ≥ 7.8 mmol/L at 24-28 gestational weeks in 6 urban districts of Tianjin, China. Binary logistic regression was used to obtain adjusted odds ratio (OR) of SES for GDM, as defined by education attainment and family monthly income.

RESULTS

A total of 1264 women (7.2%) were found to have GDM. If the women with low-middle income and high school or below used as the reference group, the middle-high income group and the high income group were associated with decreased risks of GDM (OR: 0.85, 95%CI: 0.71-1.00 & 0.80, 0.65-0.98) while tertiary education attainment was associated with decreased risk of GDM (0.75, 0.58-0.97). Women with higher income and/or higher education attainment tended to have a decreased risk of GDM (P for trend: 0.0105). All these significant ORs were attenuated to be non-significant by adjustment for pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI), but not by adjustment for gestational weight gain (GWG).

CONCLUSIONS

In urban Tianjin, indicators of high SES were associated with decreased risk of GDM via decreased pre-pregnancy BMI.

Pathways linking socioeconomic status to small-for-gestational-age (SGA) infants among primiparae: a birth cohort study in China

OBJECTIVES

Evidence about the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and small-for-gestational-age (SGA) infants was insufficient among Chinese primiparae. In addition, factors that may mediate this relationship are poorly understood. The purpose of this study was to investigate the risk of and mediators between SES and SGA.

DESIGN

Retrospective cohort study.

SETTING

Wuhan, Hubei, China.

METHOD

Participants were recruited from patients who gave birth in the maternity care hospital of Wuhan between September 2012 and October 2014. Logistic regression models were used to estimate the association between SES and SGA. Pathway analysis was performed to examine the contribution of maternal lifestyles and pregnancy-induced hypertension syndrome (PIH) to the relationship between SES and SGA. Total effect, direct effect and indirect effect of SES on SGA were measured. Effect sizes were evaluated by unstandardised estimates (B) and standardised estimates (ß).

RESULTS

Among 8737 primiparae, 927 (10.61%) pregnant women had babies with SGA. High SES was inversely associated with risk of SGA (OR 0.856; 95% CI 0.737 to 0.995) after adjustment for potential confounders. Maternal obstetric characteristics, lifestyles and PIH completely mediated SES and SGA (indirect effect: B=-0.067, 95% CI -0.108 to -0.026). The indirect effect of SES was strengthened by PIH (B=-0.029), a multivitamin supplement (B=-0.021), prepregnancy body mass index (BMI) ≥18.50 (B=-0.009) and prepregnancy BMI ≥18.50 to gestational weight gain (GWG) not below the Institute of Medicine (IOM) recommendations (B=-0.003).

CONCLUSIONS

Women from high SES predicted lower risk of PIH, more chances to take a multivitamin supplement during early pregnancy, keeping prepregnancy BMI ≥18.50 kg/cm² and gaining adequate gestational weight which was not below IOM recommendations. Furthermore, lower risk of PIH, more chances to take a multivitamin supplement, prepregnancy BMI ≥18.50 kg/cm² and GWG not below IOM recommendations were associated with a lower risk of SGA infants.

Socioeconomic, environmental and lifestyle factors associated with gestational diabetes mellitus: A matched case-control study in Beijing, China

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a common health problem during pregnancy and its prevalence is increasing globally, especially in China. The aim of this study was to investigate socioeconomic, environmental and lifestyle factors associated with GDM in Chinese women. A matched pair case-control study was conducted with 276 GDM women and 276 non-GDM women in two hospitals in Beijing, China. Matched factors include age and pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI). GDM subjects were defined based on the International Association of Diabetes Study Group criteria for GDM. A conditional logistic regression model with backward stepwise selection was performed to predict the odds ratio (OR) for associated factors of GDM. The analyses of data show that passive smoking at home (OR = 1.52, p = 0.027), passive smoking in the workplace (OR = 1.71, p = 0.01), and family history of diabetes in first degree relatives (OR = 3.07, p = 0.004), were significant factors associated with GDM in Chinese women. These findings may be utilized as suggestions to decrease the incidence of GDM in Chinese women by improving the national tobacco control policy and introducing public health interventions to focus on the social environment of pregnant women in China.