Factors promoting diabetes self-care among low-income, minority pregnant women

L. M. Yee*, J. M. McGuire, S. M. Taylor, C. M. Niznik, M. A. Simon

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

19 Scopus citations

Abstract

Objective:To prospectively identify factors promoting healthy self-management of gestational and type 2 diabetes mellitus among underserved pregnant women.Study design:Twenty-nine in-depth, semi-structured interviews were performed over the course of pregnancy for 10 women with diabetes. Interviews on factors promoting diabetes self-management used cognitive load theory to frame questions. Qualitative analysis of longitudinal interview data applied grounded theory techniques to generate themes.Result:Half this cohort of minority, low-income, public aid-supported women had type 2 diabetes. Four themes, comprised of both internal self-driven motivators and external sources of support, were identified. These themes were: (1) disease familiarity and diabetes self-efficacy; (2) external motivation (for health of fetus and responsibilities to older children); (3) supportive social and physical environment; and (4) self-regulatory behavior, including goal responsiveness and long-term goal-setting.Conclusion:Low-income women used multiple internal and external resources to promote health during a pregnancy complicated by diabetes. Successful behavior modification and achievement of diabetes care goals require leveraging these resources.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)13-18
Number of pages6
JournalJournal of Perinatology
Volume36
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 1 2016

Funding

Supported by a grant from the Evergreen Invitational Women’s Health Grants Initiative and the Northwestern Memorial Foundation.

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Obstetrics and Gynecology
  • Pediatrics, Perinatology, and Child Health

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