Women's experiences of being screened for gestational diabetes mellitus.
OBJECTIVE
To assess if women screening positive for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) will experience a reduction in their quality of life.


METHODS
Prospective survey


METHODS
Level III teaching hospital with a high-risk pregnancy service and neonatal intensive care unit.


METHODS
Pregnant women prior to being screened for GDM, after screening and late in pregnancy


METHODS
Women were surveyed using the six-item short-form of the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale and Short Form 36 Item Health Survey Further questions asked about the mother's perception of health and the concern the mother felt for the health of her unborn child, the adequacy of information given about the screening tests and its results, adequacy of information about the results of the diagnostic OGTT and women's overall experiences of being screened.


METHODS
Anxiety, depression, health status, concerns about the health of the baby and perceived health.


RESULTS
After screening, women screening positive for GDM had lower health perceptions (p < 0.05), were less likely to rate their health as 'much better than one year ago' (p < 0.05) and were more likely to only rate their health as 'fair' rather than 'very good' or 'excellent' when compared with women screening negative (p < 0.01). No differences were found in levels of anxiety, depression or the concern women felt about the health of their baby


CONCLUSIONS
Screening for GDM had an adverse impact on women's perceptions of their own health.
Rumbold
Alice R
AR
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Adelaide University, South Australia, Australia.
Crowther
Caroline A
CA
D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D016640:Diabetes, Gestational / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods*; D008429:Maternal Welfare; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D018566:Pregnancy, High-Risk; D011295:Prenatal Care / Q000379:methods; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013021:South Australia; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires