Doreen Macherera Mukona
University of Zimbabwe College of Health Sciences, Zimbabwe
Posters & Accepted Abstracts: J Diabetes Metab
Diabetes in pregnancy has received little attention in developing countries despite contributing to maternal mortality and morbidity. Many studies have focused on epidemiological aspects of diabetes in the general population and very few have looked at the impact of diabetes in pregnancy in affected women. The purpose of the study was to explore the impact of diabetes on pregnancy in pregnant women. Diabetes in pregnancy referred to pre-gestational type I, pre-gestational type II and gestational diabetes mellitus. The study utilized a descriptive qualitative design. Four focus group discussions (FGDs), each with 7 participants, were held at a central hospital in Zimbabwe. Inclusion criteria were women with a diagnosis of diabetes in pregnancy, age from 18 to 49 years, and ability to speak Shona or English. Approval was obtained from respective ethical review boards. FGDs which were audiotaped followed a semi-structured questionnaire while detailed notes were taken during the interviews. Thematic analysis was done manually. Findings revealed that diabetes in pregnancy has a multifaceted impact on women. Themes identified were: impact on health, socio-economic issues and the psychological burden of diabetes in pregnancy. There is a need for comprehensive collaborative care of women with diabetes in pregnancy in view of the multi-faceted nature of both the disease and its subjective impact on affected individuals.
E-mail: dmacherera@yahoo.co.uk
