title: Postpartum education and lifestyle changes for preventing type 2 diabetes in Turkish women with previous gestational diabetes: A retrospective study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Women with previous gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) have at least sevenfold increased risk for developing type 2 diabetes compared with non-GDM mothers. The risk can be decreased by self-care measures.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to explore the postpartum education and lifestyle changes of Turkish women with previous GDM.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a retrospective descriptive epidemiological study. A total of 111 women who had given birth within the previous 3-4 years were interviewed by telephone between December 2013 and April 2014.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The 83.8% of the women with GDM had not received education related to exercise, while 40.5% received no education regarding the importance of diet. More importantly, while 68.5% had been informed about testing blood glucose levels postpartum, a large majority, 69.3%, did not know for how long they would have had to continue testing their glucose levels. However, 31.3% of those who monitored their glucose levels had glucose intolerance. In terms of lifestyle changes, less than half of the women, 48.6%, had made changes in their diet and the majority, 51.4%, were inactive.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Women need access to sustained education and supportive counselling both to motivate and to minimize the risk of type 2 diabetes after GDM.
authors: Obstetric and Gynecologic Nursing Department, Dokuz Eylul University Faculty of Nursing, Izmir, Turkey. merlinda_alus@yahoo.com.
authors: Merlinda
authors: M
authors: Aluş Tokat
authors: T.C Health Ministry Izmir Tepecik Maternity and Women Health Hospital, Izmir, Turkey.
authors: Muzafer
authors: M
authors: Sancı
authors: Obstetric and Gynecologic Nursing Department, Izmir University School of Health, Izmir, Turkey.
authors: Semra
authors: S
authors: Girgeç
authors: Samsun Women and Child Hospital, Samsun, Turkey.
authors: Nur Gözde
authors: NG
authors: Kulhan
authors: Konya Ticaret Odası Karatay University Scholl of Health Science, Izmir, Turkey.
authors: Çiler Yeygel
authors: ÇY
authors: Özcan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016640:Diabetes, Gestational / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D049590:Postpartum Period; D011247:Pregnancy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014421:Turkey; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: gestational diabetes mellitus; lifestyle changes; nursing and glucose intolerance; postpartum; type 2 diabetes