Determinants of health literacy and its impact on glycemic control among women with gestational diabetes mellitus in a tertiary care hospital, Puducherry - A cross-sectional analytical study

Background: Health literacy is vital during pregnancy, as maternal health knowledge and behavior have a significant impact on the health of both mother and child. Hence, this study aimed to assess the health literacy status of pregnant women diagnosed with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), as well as its associated factors and impact on glycemic control.

Materials and methods: The facility-based Cross-sectional analytical study was conducted among 200 pregnant women with GDM in a tertiary care hospital. The eligible participants were consecutively selected for the study. The study was conducted from September 2022 to March 2023. A validated semi-structured questionnaire, the Health Literacy Questionnaire (HLQ) for GDM, was used to measure health literacy status. Stata V.17 software was used for data analysis.

Results: Out of 200 pregnant women with GDM, the mean (SD) age of the participants is 29.5 (±5.5) years. It was observed that 164 (82%) of the participants had adequate health literacy, whereas 36 (18%) had inadequate health literacy about Gestational Diabetes. Adequate health literacy (HL) was observed among 88.5% of women with controlled blood sugar and 55.1% of women with uncontrolled blood sugar. Results of multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that pregnant mothers' educational status (PR: 1.8; 95% CI: 1.2-2.5) and glycemic control (PR: 1.4; 95% CI (1.2-1.7) were associated with adequate HL.

Conclusions: In conclusion, this study supports the association between adequate HL and glycemic control in pregnant women with GDM. Addressing this gap is essential for healthcare officials and planners to implement programs that promote women's HL during pregnancy, with a focus on low-educated groups.