The effect of couple supportive counseling on self-efficacy in women with insulin-treated gestational diabetes: A randomized clinical trial

Gestational diabetes is the most common medical complication and a common metabolic disorder during pregnancy. Increasing people’s self‑efficacy is one of the best ways to control this disease. As there is a lag of intervention in this regard, the purpose of this study was to determine the effect of couple supportive counseling on self‑efficacy in women with insulin‑treated gestational diabetes.

In this randomized clinical trial, 64 women with gestational diabetes who referred to diabetes clinic of Mashhad Ommolbanin Hospital were divided into intervention and control groups through block randomization during 2019. Their gestational age was in 26–30 weeks. For the couples in the intervention group, three couple supportive counseling session was held. Each session lasted 1 h and was held one time per week. The instruments were diabetes self‑efficacy questionnaire, fasting and 2‑h postprandial checklist and Cassidy social support, which were assessed before and 4 weeks after intervention in both groups. Data was analyzed by SPSS software version 25 through Mann–Whitney and Wilcoxon test. P values of < 0.05 were reported to be significant.

In the preintervention, the diabetes self‑efficacy score had no significant difference in the intervention (30/6 ± 38/50) and control groups (09/8 ± 56/51) (P = 515/0). However, in the postintervention, the diabetes self‑efficacy score was significantly higher in the intervention group (58/6 ± 41/71) compared to the control group (15/7 ± 31/51) (P < 001/0). Also, before the intervention, there was no significant difference between the intervention (30/2 ± 72/10) and control group (87/1 ± 63/11) (P = 137/0) regarding social support. However, after the intervention, there was a significant difference between the intervention and control groups (879/0 ± 53/13, 03/2 ± 41/11, P < 0/001 respectively). Also, data analysis showed a significant correlation between self‑efficacy and social support (r = 0.451, P < 0.001), self‑efficacy and fasting blood sugar (P < 0.001, r = ‑0.577), and 2 h post prandial (r = ‑0.778, P < 0.001).

Couple supportive counseling leads to increased self‑efficacy and social support in pregnant women with gestational diabetes. Therefore, it is recommended to use this counseling as an effective method in the management of diabetic pregnant women during their prenatal care to have a healthier pregnancy.