Background: Maternal obesity elevates the risk of gestational diabetes (GD) andimpacts perinatal outcomes, stemming from excessive caloric intake and unhealthynutrient habits.
Objective: To evaluate the effect of therapeutic education on food intake, and itsadequacy to nutritional recommendations in pregnant women with GD.
Methods: GD women who participated in the EDUGEST study were consider to theanalysis. Educational intervention: workshops in-site and on-line, with material speciallydeveloped for the project, reinforced with an individual interview with thenutritionist.Nutriquid-GEST were completed before and after the intervention. A pre-post intervention analysis was carried out, where food intake indicators and theproportion of adequacy to Institute of Medicine recommendations were verified. Theresults are presented as mean ± standard deviation or proportions. Student's tests andchi-squared test were used for comparisons considering significant p<0.05.
Results: Nutritional records of 497 women with GD were analyzed (31.1 ± 6.4 years atthe beginning of pregnancy, BMI 31.8 ± 7 kg/m2, and 28 ± 5 weeks gestational age atthe time of recruitment. PRE intervention: energy intake was 3,633 ± 2,350 Kcal/day, and only 10.9% of the sample recorded consumption as recommended. POSTintervention, a decrease in energy intake was observed (2,0913 ± 881.9 Kcal/day vs.3,633.2 ± 2,350.4 Kcal/day; p=0.000), and a decrease in macro and micronutrientconsumption; without change in the number of servings of fruits and vegetables.Therewas an increase in the percentage of women with an adequate range of energyconsumption (25.4% vs. 10.9%; p=0.000), Carbohydrates (14.5% vs. 8.9%; p=0.006), Lipids (14.5% vs. 9.9%; p=0.026) and Proteins (19.9% vs. 12.3%; p=0.026).
Conclusion: The educational intervention significantly improved the eating behavior ofpregnant women with GD, adopting healthy eating habits throughout pregnancy.
S. Salzberg: Research Support; Eli Lilly and Company.
World Diabetes Foundation (WDF 19-1724)
