[Gestational diabetes. Determination of relative importance of risk factors]

The aim of this study was to determine the relative importance of gestational diabetes (GD) risk factors to identify populations at risk. A total of 400 pregnant patients were studied, 200 with confirmed GD diagnosis and 200 controls with risk factors. They regularly attended health-care units belonging to the Ministry of Health of the Province of Buenos Aires, in the context of the Program for the Prevention, Care and Treatment of People with Diabetes of the Province of Buenos Aires (PRODIABA). The following risk factors were evaluated: GD in previous pregnancies, history of diabetes in first degree relatives, age > or = 30 years, BMI > 26, history of fetal macrosomy, perinatal mortality and hypertension during pregnancy. Data analysis was performed with the Program of Statistics in Public Health Epilnfo 6. The association between GD development as a dependent variable and the presence of different risk factors (independent variables) was analyzed with a multiple logistic regression model, determining the logistic probability to develop GD. Results showed that the incidence of risk factors to develop GD is not the same; therefore, they do not have the same predictive value. Overweight or obesity played a key central role, not only for its frequency, but also for its contribution to GD development. Our findings reinforce the importance of multi causal studies as the basis to design and implement prevention strategies for diabetes.