Health behaviour changes in partners of women with recent gestational diabetes: a phase IIa trial

Preventing Type 2 Diabetes after Gestational Diabetes: A Systematic Review Mapping Physical Activity Components using the Socio-Ecological Model

OBJECTIVES

Gestational diabetes commonly occurs during pregnancy and increases lifetime risk of type 2 diabetes following pregnancy. Engaging in physical activity postnatally can reduce this subsequent risk. Interventions aiming to increase physical activity after gestational diabetes may not address the wide range of post-pregnancy barriers. A socio-ecological approach highlights the need to include multi-level factors such as social, community and organisational factors. The aim of the review was to map intervention components to prevent type 2 diabetes after gestational diabetes using the socio-ecological model as a framework and investigate how physical activity changes align with different intervention components utilised.

METHODS

Eligible studies included any study type within 5 years of a gestational diabetes diagnosis and targeted physical activity. A systematic search of MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, CINAHL Complete, and Scopus was conducted in October 2022. Results were categorised based on whether findings demonstrated no increases, non-statistically significant increases or statistically significant increases in physical activity.

RESULTS

Forty-eight studies were included (37 different interventions). Thirty-eight studies were assessed as "adequate" quality, only two studies were "good" quality, and the remaining were limited quality. Mixed physical activity outcomes were observed across components used at the intrapersonal level, with components across other levels of the socio-ecological model showing more increases in physical activity. Intervention components within the social and organisational levels, for example childcare provision, providing group-based sessions and offering remote delivery, were more often present in interventions with physical activity increases.

CONCLUSIONS FOR PRACTICE

Future interventions targeting physical activity after gestational diabetes should aim to include social and organisational-level components in their intervention design. This systematic review was registered in PROSPERO (ID: CRD42021272044).

Motivation for Behavior Change among Women with Recent Gestational Diabetes and Their Partners-A Qualitative Investigation among Participants in the Face-It Intervention

Promoting diet and physical activity is important for women with recent gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and their partners to reduce the risk of future type 2 diabetes (T2D). The study aimed to understand how motivation for changing diet and physical activity behaviors among women with recent GDM and their partners was experienced after participation in the Danish Face-it intervention. Fourteen couples' interviews were conducted. Data analysis followed a reflexive thematic analysis. Guided by self-determination theory and interdependence theory, we identified four themes affecting couples' motivation for health behavior change: (1) The need to feel understood after delivery; (2) adjusting health expectations; (3) individual and mutual preferences for health behaviors; and (4) the health threat of future T2D as a cue to action. We found that couples in general perceived the Face-it intervention as useful and motivating. Using couple interviews increased our understanding of how the women and partners influenced each other's perspectives after a GDM-affected pregnancy and thus how targeting couples as opposed to women alone may motivate health behavior change.

Core outcome set for diabetes after pregnancy prevention across the life span: international Delphi study

INTRODUCTION

Mothers with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) are at high risk of future diabetes. An active area of research examines health behavior change strategies in women within 5 years of a GDM pregnancy to prevent diabetes after pregnancy. We aimed to develop a core outcome set (COS) to facilitate synthesis and comparison across trials.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Candidate outcomes were identified through systematic review and scored for importance (1-9) by healthcare professionals, researchers, and women with prior GDM through an international two-round electronic-Delphi survey. Outcomes retained required round two scores above prespecified thresholds (≥70% scoring 7-9) or expert panel endorsement when scores were indeterminate. The panel organized the COS by domain.

RESULTS

115 stakeholders participated in the survey and 56 completed both rounds. SD of scores decreased by 0.24 (95%CI 0.21 to 0.27) by round 2, signaling convergence. The final COS includes 19 domains (50 outcomes): diabetes (n=3 outcomes), other related diseases (n=3), complications in subsequent pregnancy (n=2), offspring outcomes (n=3), adiposity (n=4), cardiometabolic measures (n=5), glycemia (n=3), physical activity (n=2), diet (n=4), breast feeding (n=2), behavior change theory (n=5), diabetes-related knowledge (n=2), health literacy (n=1), social support (n=1), sleep (n=1), quality of life (n=1), program delivery (n=4), health economic evaluation (n=2), and diabetes risk screening (n=2). The seven outcomes endorsed by ≥90% were diabetes development and GDM recurrence, attending the postpartum diabetes screening and completing oral glucose tolerance testing and/or other glycemia measures, weight and total energy intake, and health behaviors in general. Among the 15 at the 80%-90% endorsement level, approximately half were specific elements related to the top 7, while the remainder related to diabetes knowledge, personal risk perception, motivation for change, program element completion, and health service use and cost.

CONCLUSION

Researchers should collect and report outcomes from the breadth of domains in the COS.

Narratives of Gestational Diabetes Provide a Lens to Tailor Postpartum Prevention and Monitoring Counseling

INTRODUCTION

Women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) have a marked increased risk of early onset type 2 diabetes, but less than half initiate postpartum glucose testing or connect with a primary care provider for continued follow-up after giving birth. This study analyzed women's narratives about their GDM-affected pregnancies to (1) identify different patterns (narrative archetypes) that capture the GDM experience; (2) explore how these patterns relate to awareness of ongoing risk after pregnancy and affect participation in self-care, monitoring, and preventive health care going forward; and (3) explore the use of identified patterns to tailor conversations with patients during prenatal and postpartum care to their actual perceptions and concerns about future risk.

METHODS

Open-ended interviews elicited women's experiences and perspectives about GDM and its management. A narrative analysis first identified segments of text related to risk and behaviors and then applied Frank's narrative archetypes (restitution, chaos, quest) as an interpretive lens.

RESULTS

Interviews were completed in English (n = 15), Spanish (n = 7), and Haitian Creole (n = 7). We found distinct patterns: stories of restitution (n = 13), quest (n = 4), chaos (n = 4), and mixed narratives (n = 7). Using these archetypes, we found differences in how women respond to challenges related to disease complexity, treatment, and future risks. These patterns led to marked differences in the steps women took to prevent early onset type 2 diabetes.

DISCUSSION

Frank's narrative types provided insight into women's responses to clinical protocols, health care advice, and subsequent prevention actions. A restitution pattern may result in premature closure and lack of awareness of risk. Similarly, a chaos pattern may contribute to a sense of helplessness to implement follow-up recommendations, despite risk awareness. Understanding these patterns can help clinicians tailor individualized support as women transition from GDM with its focus on a healthy fetus and newborn to preventive self-care to protect their health.

Preventing diabetes after pregnancy with gestational diabetes in a Cree community: an inductive thematic analysis

INTRODUCTION

Historical and political factors underpin the disproportional burden of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in women, a harbinger of future T2DM, in Indigenous populations. There is a need for T2DM prevention strategies driven by the voices of Indigenous women. In this study, we aimed to understand the perspectives of Cree women with prior GDM living in northern Quebec, where over a quarter of pregnancies are complicated by GDM.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

A local healthcare worker invited women with GDM in the prior 5 years to participate in semistructured interviews. A Cree-origin research partner and a researcher jointly conducted interviews in-person or by teleconference. Open-ended questions addressed GDM experience, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and needs/preferences pertinent to designing a T2DM prevention program aimed at women affected by GDM. We adopted an inductive thematic analysis framework to categorize experiences and opinions.

RESULTS

Among the 13 mothers interviewed, some success with health behavior changes during pregnancy was reported but there were difficulties postpartum resulting from time constraints, costs of healthy foods, discomfort at the gym related to not being perceived as athletic, and safety concerns. They acknowledged the existence of programs addressing T2DM prevention in their community but did not participate. They endorsed preferences for group sessions, with family collaboration and childcare, that addressed healthy cooking and physical activity and incorporated traditional elements.

CONCLUSION

Cree mothers with a history of GDM highlighted several barriers to diabetes prevention. We are working to address these barriers through the creation of a Cree-facilitator-led community-based intervention.

Exploring the effectiveness of physical activity interventions in women with previous gestational diabetes: A systematic review of quantitative and qualitative studies

Women with previous Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) have seven times the risk of Type 2 diabetes later in life compared to women without GDM. Physical activity can reduce this risk and most women with previous GDM are not physically active.

Aims

To explore: (1) effectiveness of physical activity interventions for women with previous GDM; (2) factors that women with previous GDM perceive influence their physical activity; (3) how these factors are addressed by the interventions.

Methods

A systematic review of quantitative (aim 1) and qualitative (aim 2) studies with a mixed-methods synthesis (aim 3) was conducted in October 2017 following Cochrane methodology. Of 8101 articles identified, twenty-eight studies were included in total: 18 in Review 1 and 10 in Review 2.

Results

Four interventions significantly increased physical activity and 14 had either mixed effectiveness or no changes in physical activity. Reporting of intervention components and study quality varied greatly. Relevant qualitative factors included accounting for childcare issues, social support and cultural sensitivities. Interventions that incorporated these factors were associated with effectiveness. Education about how to reduce future risk of Type 2 diabetes and using pedometers in interventions were not associated with intervention effectiveness. Other factors that future interventions should address consist of ‘putting others before yourself’; ‘putting off lifestyle change’; ‘lack of support from healthcare professionals’ and ‘being a healthy role model for families’.

Conclusion

Combining the results of qualitative and quantitative studies can provide a nuanced understanding of the effectiveness of physical activity and lifestyle interventions.

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Women with previous gestational diabetes are at high risk for type 2 diabetes.

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Interventions to increase physical activity have not worked for this group.

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Mixed-methods reviews allow us to identify effective intervention components.

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Childcare, social support and cultural relevance are part of successful interventions.

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Interventions should incorporate this review's results to improve effectiveness.