Comparing the effects of face-to-face training and booklet-based education on maternal outcomes in gestational diabetes: a randomized controlled clinical trial

Gestational diabetes is a medical condition that can lead to adverse outcomes of pregnancy. In this regard, the best way to reduce symptoms can be patient education. Hence, the aim of this study was to determine the effects of face-to-face training and booklet-based education on the maternal outcomes of diabetes in pregnancy.
Methods & Materials: A total of 126 patients with gestational diabetes were randomly enrolled in this controlled clinical trial. The patients were randomly allocated into three groups and were followed up to 1 week after birth. The 42 samples in the first intervention group, received face-to-face training by the researcher. The 42 samples. The second intervention group received a researcher made educational booklet and the 42 samples. This group as a control received routine hospital care and education. Then, the participants were contacted by the researcher, and a record sheet was completed by them. In this study, Fisher’s exact test, chi-square, ANOVA and Kruskal–Wallis were used to analyze the data.
Among the studied outcomes, the number of maternal readmission, changing of the treatment from diet control to insulin therapy, increasing doses of insulin, showed significant differences in the groups, but among other outcomes, there were no statistically significant differences in the groups.
Training by different methods is effective in patients with gestational diabetes and can increase the health of mothers and children. It also leads to lower costs of hospital stay.