Preferred Name
Connie Van Baah
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Date of Graduation
5-31-2021
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
Department
School of Nursing
Advisor(s)
Maria deValpine
Jeannie Garber
Abstract
The occurrence of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) has significantly increased globally, as has the threat of GDM recurrence in subsequent pregnancies. GDM recurrence rate can range from 40% to 73% in some populations. GDM is associated with acute maternal health problems and long-term diseases, such as type II diabetes and recurrent GDM. Fetuses and infants of mothers with GDM can experience primary health complications early and late in life. Although lifestyle changes such as healthy eating and physical activity in high-risk patients are effective in reducing diabetes risk factors, limited attention has been paid to the possible benefits of translating these interventions into routine clinical practice to reduce recurrent GDM. The current approach at Women First OBGYN (WFOG) has been inadequate so far, which may have resulted in an increase in the rate of recurrent GDM from 5% to 10% in 2019. Lifestyle modification interventions within a multicultural private obstetrical practice were planned. The PRECEDE-PROCEED planning model was used to develop, implement, and evaluate the program at WFOG. The lifestyle changes consisted of a core curriculum for the first two weeks and a maintenance program for eight weeks. Outcomes evaluated include maternal physical activity, nutrition, weight gain, and patient satisfaction. Considering all the data collected throughout the implementation of the lifestyle changes, the program was implemented successfully. Successful implementation of the program and participants' satisfaction with the lifestyle modification program are essential results of this project at WFOG.
Keywords: Recurrent gestational diabetes, program evaluation, lifestyle modification in pregnancy, prevention, health promotion, multicultural obstetrical practice.
Recommended Citation
Van Baah, Connie, "Implementing a program of lifestyle modification in pregnancy to reduce the risk of recurrent gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM)" (2021). Doctors of Nursing Practice (DNP) Final Projects, 2020-current. 3.
https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/dnp202029/3
