Mediterranean Diet Adherence and Health Literacy Levels in Pregnant Women with Gestational Diabetes: A Case-Control Study

Year 2024, Volume: 8 Issue: 3, 109 - 121, 04.12.2024

Simay Kundakçı , Pınar Geyik , Rabia Bağlayici , Şule Aktaç

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the relationship between adherence to the Mediterranean diet and health literacy levels of pregnant women with and without gestational diabetes (GDM). Nutrition during pregnancy is important as it affects maternal and infant health. Mediterranean diet is thought to be beneficial in the management of GDM and other pregnancy complications. Health literacy enables pregnant women to make informed decisions about nutrition and health management. This cross-sectional case-control study was conducted in a training-research hospital between October 2023 and April 2024. The study included 100 pregnant women with a gestational week ≥ 37, 50 with GDM and 50 without GDM. Questionnaire form including socio-demographic characteristics, Mediterranean Diet Adherence Scale (MEDAS) and Health Literacy in Pregnancy Scale (MHELIP) were administered to the pregnant women. In the study, it was determined that the mean MEDAS score of the pregnant women was 7.46 ± 2.18 and 58% of the pregnant women with GDM showed an acceptable level of compliance with the Mediterranean diet. The mean health literacy score was 81.18 ± 11.67. It was found that the diagnosis of gestational diabetes did not affect health literacy scores, but it varied according to pre-pregnancy BMI and employment status. In addition, it was found that there was a significant correlation between health literacy and adherence to the Mediterranean diet in pregnant women with GDM. It was thought that increasing compliance with the Mediterranean diet and health literacy levels during pregnancy may improve maternal and infant health.

Keywords

Gestational Diabetes Mellitus, Mediterranean Diet, Health Literacy

Ethical Statement

Ethics committee approval (No. 98, dated 21.06.2023) was obtained from the Clinical Research Ethics Committee of Zeynep Kamil Women's and Children's Diseases Training and Research Hospital. After providing information about the study, pregnant women who voluntarily agreed to participate signed the “Informed Consent Form.”

Gestasyonel Diyabetli Gebelerin Akdeniz Diyetine Uyum ve Sağlık Okuryazarlığı Düzeyleri: Bir Vaka-Kontrol Çalışması

Abstract

Bu çalışma, gestasyonel diyabeti olan ve olmayan gebelerin Akdeniz diyetine uyum ve sağlık okuryazarlığı seviyeleri arasındaki ilişkiyi araştırmayı amaçlamaktadır. Gebelik döneminde beslenme, anne ve bebek sağlığını etkilediğinden önem taşımaktadır. Akdeniz diyetinin, gestasyonel diyabet (GDM) ve diğer gebelik komplikasyonlarının yönetiminde faydalı olduğu düşünülmektedir. Sağlık okuryazarlığı, gebelerin beslenme ve sağlık yönetimi hakkında bilinçli kararlar alabilmelerini sağlamaktadır. Kesitsel tipte vaka-kontrol çalışması olan bu çalışma, Ekim 2023 ile Nisan 2024 tarihleri arasında bir eğitim-araştırma hastanesinde yürütülmüştür. Çalışmaya, GDM tanılı olan 50 ve olmayan 50 olmak üzere, gestasyon haftası ≥37 olan 100 gebe dahil edilmiştir. Gebelere; sosyodemografik özelliklerin yer aldığı anket formu, Akdeniz Diyeti Uyum Ölçeği (MEDAS) ve Gebelikte Sağlık Okuryazarlığı Ölçeği (MHELIP) uygulanmıştır. Çalışmada, gebelerin ortalama MEDAS puanının 7.46 ± 2.18 olduğu ve GDM tanılı gebelerin %58'inin Akdeniz diyetine kabul edilebilir düzeyde uyum gösterdiği belirlenmiştir. Ortalama sağlık okuryazarlığı puanı ise 81.18 ± 11.67 olarak belirlenmiştir. Gestasyonel diyabet tanısının sağlık okuryazarlığı puanlarını etkilemediği, ancak gebelik öncesi BKİ ve çalışma durumuna göre değişiklik gösterdiği bulunmuştur. Ayrıca, GDM tanılı gebelerde sağlık okuryazarlığı ile Akdeniz diyetine uyum arasında anlamlı korelasyon olduğu saptanmıştır. Gebelik döneminde Akdeniz diyetine uyumun ve sağlık okuryazarlığı düzeylerinin artırılmasının anne ve bebek sağlığı iyileştirebileceği düşünülmüştür.

Keywords

Gestasyonel diyabetes mellitus, Akdeniz diyeti, Sağlık okuryazarlığı

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