Risk Perception for Developing Diabetes in Women with a Prior History of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus in Kashan City in 2013

This study was performed with regard to the concerns of World Health Organization about diabetes mellitus, high prevalence of diabetes mellitus and the associated complications during pregnancy, and the absence of information about risk perception for developing diabetes in women with a prior history of gestational diabetes. This cross-sectional study was conducted on a random sample of 315 women with a previous history of gestational diabetes mellitus. Data were collected using Risk Perception Survey for Developing Diabetes (RPS-DD). In this study, we evaluated risk perception for developing diabetes from different aspects and examined its correlation with other variables. The mean age of participants was 30.36±6.3 years. The majority of participants (69%) referred to a prior history of gestational diabetes as a risk factor for developing diabetes mellitus. More than 90% of participants believed that they were greatly at risk of developing diabetes mellitus. Moreover, 33% of subjects considered themselves to be at a higher risk of diabetes mellitus, compared to their same-age counterparts. Moreover, more than 90% of mothers had a high perceived risk of diabetes mellitus. Despite the high perceived risk of developing diabetes mellitus among the participants and changes these individuals had made in their lifestyle for avoiding diabetes, the evaluation of different factors (e.g., use of vegetables and fruits, physical activity, and body mass index) indicated unsatisfactory results. These findings imply the importance of patient follow-up, home-based care and counseling, along with educational programs for these hwomen.