Effects of Participative Self-Management Program on Health Behaviors, Two-Hour Postprandial Blood Glucose Levels and Quality of Life among Women with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus at Selaphum Hospital: A Quasi-Experimental Study
Keywords:
gestational diabetes mellitus, health behavior, quality of life, two-hour postprandial blood glucose, quasi-experimental studyAbstract
Background and Objective: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is caused by changes in blood glucose levels during pregnancy, which typically increase with gestational age and most commonly occur between 24–28 weeks of gestation. This study aimed to compare health behaviors, two-hour postprandial blood glucose levels, and quality of life among women with GDM.
Methods: This quasi-experimental study employed a two-group design. A total of 76 pregnant women receiving antenatal care at Selaphum Hospital’s antenatal clinic were recruited and randomly assigned to an experimental group (n=38) and a control group (n=38). The study was conducted over 18 months. Data were collected using validated questionnaires with content validity indices ranging from 0.80–1.00 and an overall reliability coefficient of 0.93 Descriptive statistics, paired t-tests, and independent t-tests were used for data analysis with a 95% confidence interval.
Results: After the intervention within groups, the experimental group showed statistically significant improvements in dietary behavior, physical activity, and quality of life. In contrast, the control group showed significant improvement only in physical activity, while other behaviors and quality of life remained unchanged. Both groups demonstrated statistically significant reductions in two-hour postprandial blood glucose levels. Post-intervention between groups, the experimental group had significantly higher mean scores in dietary behavior, physical activity, and quality of life compared to the control group. However, there was no statistically significant difference in two-hour postprandial blood glucose levels between the groups.
Conclusion: This study demonstrated that the implementation of a participatory self-management program significantly improved the intervention group's dietary behaviors, physical activity levels, and quality of life compared to the control group. While 2-hour postprandial blood glucose levels decreased in both groups, no statistically significant intergroup difference was observed.
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