Reported Health Behaviour Changes after a Diagnosis of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus among Ethnic Minority Women Living in Canada.

ABSTRACT

The aim of this cross-sectional study was to examine differences in health behaviours among ethnic minority and Caucasian women after a diagnosis of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Data were derived from medical charts and a questionnaire among a multi-ethnic cohort of 898 Canadian pregnant women diagnosed with GDM attending prenatal diabetes clinics in Ontario, Canada. Health behaviours were compared between ethnic minority and Caucasian women, adjusting for relevant covariates. The mean age was 33.9 ± 6.1 years; 60.0 % self-reported to be part of an ethnic minority group. After adjustment for socio-demographic, behavioural and clinical characteristics, ethnic minority women were more likely to report reducing their meal portion sizes (odds ratio [OR] 1.98; 95.0 % confidence interval [CI] 1.20-3.26) and increasing their physical activity (OR 1.71; 95.0 % CI 1.12-2.62) in response to a GDM diagnosis compared to Caucasian women. Ethnic minority women were more likely to report changes in health behaviours after a GDM diagnosis. Further research is needed to determine the impact of these findings on maternal health and perinatal outcomes, during and after delivery.