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Quality of life in pregnancy and post-partum: a study in diabetic patients

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Abstract

Purpose

We evaluated quality of life in pregnant women with diabetes followed up at Italian diabetes clinics.

Methods

A total of 245 pregnant women (30 type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM), 176 gestational diabetes (GDM) and 39 controls) were asked to fill in a questionnaire including the SF-36 Health Survey and the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression (CES-D) Scale in third trimester of pregnancy and after delivery. GDM and T1DM also completed two diabetes-specific questionnaires (Diabetes-related stress and Diabetes health distress). Quality of life scores were compared between the groups with the Mann–Whitney U-test, mean changes in scores (after delivery to 3rd trimester) were compared between groups by ANCOVA.

Results

Regarding the SF-36 scores in the third trimester of pregnancy, T1DM and GDM women had a better Standardised Physical Component score than controls (P < 0.0001, P = 0.009, respectively). GDM and T1DM pregnant women scored significantly lower for general health perception than controls (P = 0.009 and P = 0.001, respectively). T1DM patients had lower Standardised Mental Component scores than controls (P = 0.03). Compared with the third trimester of pregnancy, the severity of depressive symptoms increased significantly after delivery in both diabetic groups, but not in controls (P < 0.0001). Scores improved in all SF-36 areas in healthy and GDM women, while they all became worse in the T1DM group.

Conclusions

Pregnancy is associated with a perception of poor general health in women with both T1DM and GDM. After delivery, significantly worse depressive symptoms were documented in both groups, while a generally worse physical and psychological well-being was only identified in women with T1DM. These findings have important implications for pregnancy follow-up.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. DPT Scienze Mediche e Chirurgiche, Università di Padova, Via Giustiniani 2, 35128, Padova, Italy

    M. G. Dalfrà, T. Bisson, B. Bonsembiante & A. Lapolla

  2. DPT Farmacologia Clinica ed Epidemiologia, Consorzio Mario Negri Sud, S. Maria Imbaro, Chieti, Italy

    A. Nicolucci

Authors
  1. M. G. Dalfrà
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  2. A. Nicolucci
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  3. T. Bisson
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  4. B. Bonsembiante
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  5. A. Lapolla
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to A. Lapolla.

Additional information

On the behalf of QLISG. The details of QLISG is given in Appendix.

Appendix

Appendix

QLISG (Quality of Life Italian Study Group)

  • Di Benedetto A, DPT Medicina Interna Università di Messina,

  • Di Cianni G, DPT Endocrinologia e Malattie del Metabolismo,Università di Pisa,

  • Dolci MA,UO Diabetolologia, Ospedale Massa,

  • Franzetti I, UO Diabetologia, Ospedale Varese,

  • Galluzzo A, DPT Endocrinologia, Università di Palermo,

  • Napoli A, UO Malattie Metaboliche, Università La Sapienza Roma,

  • Salietti G, UO Diabetologia, Ospedale Omegna,

  • Santini C, UO Diabetologia, Cesena,

  • Torlone E, DIMISEM, Università di Perugia,

  • Tortul C, UO Diabetolologia, ASL Isontina,

  • Vitacolonna E, UO Diabetologia, Università di Chieti.

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Dalfrà, M.G., Nicolucci, A., Bisson, T. et al. Quality of life in pregnancy and post-partum: a study in diabetic patients. Qual Life Res 21, 291–298 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-011-9940-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-011-9940-5

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