Skip to main content

ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Glob. Womens Health
Sec. Maternal Health
Volume 5 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fgwh.2024.1490754
This article is part of the Research Topic High-risk Pregnancy: Women's Experiences and New Approaches to Care View all articles

The Effect of Training Intervention based on Health Belief Model on Selfcare Behaviors of Women with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus

Provisionally accepted
Fatemeh Mohammadkhah Fatemeh Mohammadkhah 1babak pezeshki babak pezeshki 2Samira Norouzrajabi Samira Norouzrajabi 1Ali Khani Jeihooni Ali Khani Jeihooni 3*
  • 1 Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Mazandaran, Iran
  • 2 Fasa University of Medical Sciences, Fasa, Fars, Iran
  • 3 Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Background: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a common pregnancy complication, with increasing rates of undiagnosed hyperglycemia and overt diabetes in young women. This study investigated the effect of a training intervention based on the Health Belief Model (HBM) on self-care behaviors in women with GDM. Methods: This interventional study included 160 women with GDM (80 in the intervention group and 80 in the control group) recruited from healthcare centers in Fasa, Iran (2022–2023) using simple random sampling. Data were collected using demographic questionnaires, a knowledge assessment, an HBM-based questionnaire (covering perceived sensitivity, severity, benefits, barriers, and self-efficacy), and a self-care behaviors questionnaire. Measurements included fasting blood sugar (FBS), 2-hour postprandial blood sugar, hemoglobin A1C, and insulin usage/dosage, recorded before and six weeks after the intervention. The intervention group attended six sessions (50–55 minutes each). Data were analyzed using SPSS 24, Kolmogorov-Smirnov tests, independent t-tests, paired t-tests, and chi-square tests (P<0.05). Results: Participants' mean age was 32.45±4.82 years in the intervention group and 33.16±4.69 years in the control group. Post-intervention, the intervention group showed significant improvements in all HBM constructs compared to pre-intervention (P<0.001). FBS, hemoglobin A1C, and 2-hour postprandial blood sugar levels significantly decreased in the intervention group compared to the control group (P<0.001). Additionally, insulin dosage requirements increased less in the intervention group than in the control group. Conclusions: The HBM-based training intervention effectively improved self-care behaviors and clinical outcomes in women with GDM. This model helps women understand their care needs and can reduce the incidence of complications. It serves as a valuable framework for designing, implementing, and monitoring health programs for women with GDM.

    Keywords: Health Education, health belief model, Behavior, Pregnant Women, self-care, health-related behaviors

    Received: 03 Sep 2024; Accepted: 22 Nov 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Mohammadkhah, pezeshki, Norouzrajabi and Khani Jeihooni. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Ali Khani Jeihooni, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.