[Developing a risk appraisal model for gestational diabetes mellitus]

Area of Science:

• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Endocrinology
• Public Health

Context:

• Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) affects a significant number of pregnancies.
• Accurate risk assessment is crucial for early intervention and management of GDM.
• Existing screening methods may have limitations in identifying all at-risk individuals.

Purpose:

• To identify significant risk factors associated with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).
• To develop and validate a predictive risk appraisal model for GDM.
• To evaluate the diagnostic efficiency of the established GDM risk model.

Summary:

• A case-control study involving 156 women with GDM and 362 controls identified risk factors: advanced maternal age, hypertension, prior adverse pregnancy outcomes, pre-pregnancy obesity, high fruit intake, family history of diabetes mellitus, and specific taste preferences.
• High consumption of white meat emerged as a protective factor against GDM.
• The developed logistic regression model demonstrated good diagnostic efficiency, with an Area Under the Curve (AUC) of 0.79, achieving 73.7% sensitivity and 68.5% specificity at a threshold of 3.6.

Impact:

• The validated GDM risk model offers a valuable tool for healthcare providers to screen pregnant women effectively.
• Early identification of high-risk individuals can facilitate timely interventions, potentially improving maternal and fetal outcomes.
• This research contributes to the development of more precise GDM screening strategies.