Abstract
BACKGROUND: Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) is a prevalent metabolic condition during pregnancy that can affect up to 24.9% of pregnancies in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). GDM can impair the mother's Quality of life (QOL) due to physical, psychological, and social challenges. Understanding how GDM affects the QOL is essential for effective treatment and intervention. This study aims to assess the QOL among women with GDM in the UAE, with a focus on how the condition impacts their overall well-being. METHODS: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted at Thumbay University Hospital in Ajman, UAE. The study assessed the quality of life of 90 pregnant women with dietary or insulin-treated GDM who visited the antenatal/postnatal OPD and labor unit. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data on "socio-demographic" and obstetrical parameters and the standardized GDMQ-36 for QOL assessment on a five-point Likert scale (strongly agree to strongly disagree) with a score range from 1 to 5. RESULTS: The study found that 77.8% of the mothers experienced moderate QOL, while 22.2% had high QOL. Furthermore, concerns about high-risk pregnancy had the highest mean score (Mean = 29.59, SD = 10.902), while Medication and treatment had the lowest mean score (Mean = 15.71, SD = 3.036), suggesting lower perceived burden. Support was perceived as moderate (Mean = 23.24, SD = 3.718) and Perceived constraints (Mean = 20.7, SD = 6.173) and complications of GDM (Mean = 16.17, SD = 4.465) also contributed to overall QOL. This study also found that Education level (χ² = 12.936, p = 0.044) and Previous history of GDM (χ² = 5.625, p = 0.018) were significantly associated with QOL, with woman with higher education and no history of GDM reporting a higher QOL. CONCLUSION: The study highlights that concerns about high-risk pregnancy and complications of GDM negatively impact QOL. Higher education and no previous GDM history were associated with better QOL, emphasizing the role of education and early intervention, and supportive care in shaping the mother's well-being.