Effects of Health Education on the Knowledge and Attitude of Health Coordinators towards Gestational Diabetes in Minoodasht, 2013

Gestational diabetes is the most common complication during pregnancy, which could cause acute and chronic disorders in the mother and infant. In the Health System Reform Plan in Iran, health coordinators are responsible for the provision of public health education. Therefore, these coordinators should attain adequate knowledge and awareness of different health aspects. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of health education on the knowledge and attitude of health coordinators towards gestational diabetes in Minoodasht city, Iran. This quasi-experimental study was conducted on all the health coordinators engaged in medical centers of Minoodasht city (N=61) willing to participate in the study. Subjects were selected by census sampling and randomly divided into two groups of experimental (N=26) and control (N=35). Data collection was performed using questionnaires, and validity and reliability of the questionnaire was determined using content validity and Cronbach's alpha (α=0.88), respectively. In the experimental group, educational films were used, while the control group received no training. Data analysis was performed in SPSS V.18., using Wilcoxon test, T-test, Mann-Whitney U test and Pearson’s correlation coefficient, and P<0.05 was considered as significant. In this study, comparison of the mean scores of knowledge and attitude before and after the intervention was indicative of a significant increase in these parameters among the subjects of the experimental group (P<0.05). However, no significant changes were observed in the control group (P>0.05). In addition, comparison of the mean scores of knowledge and attitude between the experimental and control groups was indicative of a more significant increase in these two variables among the subjects of the experimental group (P<0.05). According to the results of this study, health education could effectively increase the level of knowledge and improve the attitude of health coordinators toward gestational diabetes. Considering the key role of health coordinators in raising the awareness of pregnant women about gestational diabetes, it is recommended that educational programs in this regard be carried out on a regular basis.