Predictors of type 2 diabetes among Taiwanese women with prior gestational diabetes mellitus

Abstract

Aim: The aims of this study were to determine the blood glucose screening rate of Taiwanese post-partum women with gestational diabetes (GDM) and to identify the predictors of type 2 diabetes among Taiwanese women with GDM.

Methods: The medical records of 130 women with GDM, who were delivered at a hospital in southern Taiwan between 1997 and 2010, were retrospectively reviewed. The GDM diagnosis was performed according to the National Diabetes Data Group and Expert Committee Criteria. The 2010 American Diabetes Association diabetes diagnosis criteria were used to determine whether post-partum women subsequently developed type 2 diabetes.

Results: In total, 71 records (54.6%) included blood glucose testing after childbirth between the first month and the ninth year, and 29 records (22.3%) documented subsequent type 2 diabetes. In a multiple logistic regression analysis, the patients' pre-pregnancy body mass indices and insulin use during pregnancy were independently associated with subsequent type 2 diabetes.

Conclusion: In this study, documentation during pregnancy, which could have provided beneficial insights, was limited. Healthcare professionals should develop a program to improve the post-partum follow-up of women diagnosed with GDM.

Keywords: Taiwan; gestational diabetes mellitus; nursing; type 2 diabetes.