title: Quality of life in pregnancy and post-partum: a study in diabetic patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We evaluated quality of life in pregnant women with diabetes followed up at Italian diabetes clinics.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 245 pregnant women (30 type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM), 176 gestational diabetes (GDM) and 39 controls) were asked to fill in a questionnaire including the SF-36 Health Survey and the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression (CES-D) Scale in third trimester of pregnancy and after delivery. GDM and T1DM also completed two diabetes-specific questionnaires (Diabetes-related stress and Diabetes health distress). Quality of life scores were compared between the groups with the Mann-Whitney U-test, mean changes in scores (after delivery to 3rd trimester) were compared between groups by ANCOVA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Regarding the SF-36 scores in the third trimester of pregnancy, T1DM and GDM women had a better Standardised Physical Component score than controls (P < 0.0001, P = 0.009, respectively). GDM and T1DM pregnant women scored significantly lower for general health perception than controls (P = 0.009 and P = 0.001, respectively). T1DM patients had lower Standardised Mental Component scores than controls (P = 0.03). Compared with the third trimester of pregnancy, the severity of depressive symptoms increased significantly after delivery in both diabetic groups, but not in controls (P < 0.0001). Scores improved in all SF-36 areas in healthy and GDM women, while they all became worse in the T1DM group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pregnancy is associated with a perception of poor general health in women with both T1DM and GDM. After delivery, significantly worse depressive symptoms were documented in both groups, while a generally worse physical and psychological well-being was only identified in women with T1DM. These findings have important implications for pregnancy follow-up.
authors.affiliation: DPT Scienze Mediche e Chirurgiche, Università di Padova, Via Giustiniani 2, 35128, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Dalfrà
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nicolucci
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bisson
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bonsembiante
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lapolla
mesh_terms: D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000523:psychology*; D016640:Diabetes, Gestational / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006304:Health Status; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D049590:Postpartum Period / Q000523:psychology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011254:Pregnancy in Diabetics / Q000523:psychology; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires