Feinberg
Northwestern Medicine | Northwestern University | Faculty Profiles

News Center

  • Categories
    • Campus News
    • Disease Discoveries
    • Clinical Breakthroughs
    • Education News
    • Scientific Advances
  • Press Releases
  • Media Coverage
  • Podcasts
  • Editor’s Picks
    • COVID-19
    • Cardiology
    • Cancer
    • Neurology and Neuroscience
    • Aging and Longevity
    • Artificial Intelligence in Medicine
  • News Archives
  • About Us
    • Media Contact
    • Share Your News
    • News Feeds
    • Social Media
    • Contact Us
Menu
  • Categories
    • Campus News
    • Disease Discoveries
    • Clinical Breakthroughs
    • Education News
    • Scientific Advances
  • Press Releases
  • Media Coverage
  • Podcasts
  • Editor’s Picks
    • COVID-19
    • Cardiology
    • Cancer
    • Neurology and Neuroscience
    • Aging and Longevity
    • Artificial Intelligence in Medicine
  • News Archives
  • About Us
    • Media Contact
    • Share Your News
    • News Feeds
    • Social Media
    • Contact Us
Home » Unique Obstacles for Women with Gestational Diabetes Mean Better Treatments Needed
Uncategorized

Unique Obstacles for Women with Gestational Diabetes Mean Better Treatments Needed

By Roger AndersonMay 28, 2013
Share
Facebook Twitter Email

Through a series of interviews, Joyce Tang, MD, assistant professor in medicine-general internal medicine and geriatrics, at left, and Javiera Pumarino, research assistant in the Center for Healthcare Studies, have found that children are one of the biggest barriers to a healthy lifestyle for women with a history of gestational diabetes.

Women with a history of gestational diabetes (GDM) are finding one of their principal motivations for improved health – their newborn – to also be their biggest barrier. 

The results of a new collaborative study involving members of the Departments of Medicine and Obstetrics and Gynecology, used semi-structured interviews with black, white, and Hispanic women to investigate what factors are persuading or deterring lifestyle changes in postpartum women with prior GDM. 

“We know from studies like the Diabetes Prevention Program that women with gestational diabetes can reduce their risk for developing diabetes through diet, exercise, and weight loss,” said principal investigator Joyce Tang, MD, assistant professor in medicine-general internal medicine and geriatrics. “What has been missing from the literature is how we can effectively engage these women in making lifestyle changes after delivery.” 

Gestational diabetes develops during pregnancy in women who have never had diabetes but who exhibit high blood sugar levels. The diagnosis doesn’t mean a mother will have diabetes after birth, but these women do face an increased risk of developing the disease later in life. 

Interviewing subjects alongside Tang, Javiera Pumarino, research assistant in the Center for Healthcare Studies, said the results show that although these mothers had a desire to stay healthy, they often delay adoption of healthy behaviors to deal with more immediate issues like childcare or sleep deprivation. 

“They know they are at risk and have a good idea of what they should be doing, but on top of the normal barriers any person might face, they also have a newborn,” she said. “We know that they are not prioritizing themselves, though they know they should.” 

Although blacks and Hispanics face an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, the study found that barriers in dealing with the aftermath of GDM existed across racial groups. 

“What is needed is a paradigm shift in how we approach lifestyle interventions,” Tang said. “Instead of concentrating on the individual, we need to think about how a woman might make changes within the context of her family. This might include suggesting exercises that women can do with their infants or incorporating healthy, child-friendly recipes. Just as importantly, we need to be thinking about how to help women feel OK with asking for help so that they can prioritize their own health.”

Presented during Research Day 2013, Pumarino was recognized for her poster with the Public Health and Social Sciences Award from the Women Faculty Organization. She also presented her work during Women’s Health Week. 

Extended Research

A larger project has also grown out of the original study examining the motivators and barriers in diabetes prevention. That project focuses on the perceptions women with a history of GDM have about the disease. 

The scientists found that risk for type 2 diabetes was frequently underestimated, with just 12 percent of respondents reporting they felt their risk to be high. And although virtually all of the women had follow-up with a healthcare provider after delivery, just under half did not complete guideline-recommended testing to identify those at the highest risk of progression to diabetes in the near term.

“This research really underscores the need for a systems-based intervention to improve postpartum care coordination for these women,” Tang said. “This could be achieved through a coordinated hand-off from obstetric- to primary-care physicians to improve continuity of care with a focus on diabetes prevention.”

The problem now is that “women often don’t see their OB/GYN again after their postpartum visit until their next pregnancy. The women who see a primary care doctor in the interim may not disclose their history of gestational diabetes, meaning we are missing an opportunity for focusing on diabetes prevention,” Tang said. 

She recently presented early results from the project at the annual Society for Internal General Medicine meeting held in Denver. 

The research is funded by the Center for Equality in Clinical Preventive Services.

Patient Care Research
Share. Facebook Twitter Email

Related Posts

Hormone Therapy Plus Current Treatments Improves Survival in Prostate Cancer

Mar 22, 2023

How ChatGPT Has, and Will Continue to, Transform Scientific Research

Mar 21, 2023

New Directions for HIV Treatment

Mar 21, 2023

Comments are closed.

Latest News

Hormone Therapy Plus Current Treatments Improves Survival in Prostate Cancer

Mar 22, 2023

How ChatGPT Has, and Will Continue to, Transform Scientific Research

Mar 21, 2023

New Directions for HIV Treatment

Mar 21, 2023

Humans are Not Just Big Mice: Identifying Science’s Muscle-Scaling Problem

Mar 20, 2023

AOA Honors New Members

Mar 20, 2023
  • News Center Home
  • Categories
  • Press Release
  • Media Coverage
  • Editor’s Picks
  • News Archives
  • About Us
Flickr Photos
20230315_NM036
20230315_NM046
20230315_NM134
20230315_NM205
20230315_NM206
20230315_NM132
20230315_NM130
20230315_NM082
20230315_NM063
20230315_NM058
20230315_NM030
20230315_NM038

Northwestern University logo

Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine

RSS Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Flickr YouTube Instagram
Copyright © 2023 Northwestern University
  • Contact Northwestern University
  • Disclaimer
  • Campus Emergency Information
  • Policy Statements

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.