title: Screening for gestational diabetes mellitus in Germany: A qualitative study on pregnant women's attitudes, experiences, and suggestions.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  to explore pregnant women's experiences with the recently implemented screening for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).
  
  
  METHODS
  qualitative study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Rhine-Neckar Metropolitan region, Germany.
  
  
  METHODS
  20 pregnant women aged 27-41 years (mean: 32.6 years) who were at least in gestational week 29, i.e., those who should have already been screened for GDM.
  
  
  RESULTS
  semi-structured interviews with open-ended questions were conducted via telephone between November 2013 and February 2014. All interviews were audiotaped, transcribed verbatim and subsequently analyzed using qualitative content analysis according to Mayring. The screening was seen as an important instrument to detect GDM and thus to prevent possible health problems in both mother and child. Some deviations from the recommended screening procedure were reported in the interviews, e.g., collecting capillary blood instead of venous blood during an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT); offering an OGTT without a prior glucose challenge test (GCT); conducting a GCT after an overnight fast. Two women had to actively ask for the screening to be done. One woman reported that her gynaecologist advised her against the screening.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  this qualitative study reflects the women's experiences with the new screening for GDM. Our findings show that two years after the introduction of universal GDM screening in Germany the screening procedure does not always seem to meet the standards of the German maternity guidelines.
authors.affiliation: Mannheim Institute of Public Health, Social and Preventive Medicine, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Ludolf-Krehl-Straße 7-11, D-68167 Mannheim, Germany. Electronic address: Tatiana.Goerig@medma.uni-heidelberg.de.
authors.forename: Tatiana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Görig
authors.affiliation: Mannheim Institute of Public Health, Social and Preventive Medicine, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Ludolf-Krehl-Straße 7-11, D-68167 Mannheim, Germany. Electronic address: Sven.Schneider@medma.uni-heidelberg.de.
authors.forename: Sven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schneider
authors.affiliation: Mannheim Institute of Public Health, Social and Preventive Medicine, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Ludolf-Krehl-Straße 7-11, D-68167 Mannheim, Germany. Electronic address: christina.bock@freenet.de.
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bock
authors.affiliation: Marienkrankenhaus, Alfredstraße 9, D-22087 Hamburg, Germany. Electronic address: maul.frauen@marienkrankenhaus.org.
authors.forename: Holger
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Maul
authors.affiliation: diabetologikum Kiel, Alter Markt 11, D-24103 Kiel, Germany. Electronic address: arzt@diabetologikum-kiel.de.
authors.forename: Helmut
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kleinwechter
authors.affiliation: Mannheim Institute of Public Health, Social and Preventive Medicine, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Ludolf-Krehl-Straße 7-11, D-68167 Mannheim, Germany. Electronic address: Katharina.Diehl@medma.uni-heidelberg.de.
authors.forename: Katharina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Diehl
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D016640:Diabetes, Gestational / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening; D008427:Maternal Health Services / Q000592:standards*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011247:Pregnancy; D037841:Pregnant People / Q000523:psychology*; D036301:Qualitative Research; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Gestational diabetes mellitus; Glucose tolerance test; Pregnancy; Qualitative research; Screening