Nonpharmacologic Management of Newly Diagnosed Gestational Diabetes: Increasing Patient Knowledge and Confidence

Background: Every year, 2% to 10% of pregnancies in the United States are affected by gestational diabetes (CDC, 2021). Gestational diabetes is a common complication in pregnancy, affecting millions of women annually. Among women with diabetes with suboptimal glycemic control, the risk of stillbirth, congenital disabilities, and preterm birth in the third trimester is considerably higher than their standard counterparts. This project aims to implement a diabetes education program for pregnant women newly diagnosed with gestational diabetes to improve outcomes.
Methods: Nine recruited participants consented to participate in the program. Each participant was given a Diabetes Empowerment Scale before an education session as a pretest. In addition, all nine participants were provided with a curated educational packet and teachings in their primary language during the session. After the education, the participant completed the Diabetes Empowerment Scale as a posttest to evaluate the participant’s psychosocial self-efficacy toward diabetes.