Carbohydrate Knowledge Observed to be Low in Vietnamese Women With Gestational Diabetes Mellitus

To assess carbohydrate knowledge of Vietnamese women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and explore factors associated with carbohydrate knowledge.

Vietnamese women (n = 100) with GDM completed an online questionnaire about self-efficacy in managing blood glucose, the habit of regularly self-monitoring blood glucose activities at home, and an adapted culturally tailored carbohydrate quiz for the target population.

Participants (30 ± 4 years) answered on average 51% of the carbohydrate knowledge questions correctly, showing most difficulty in identifying honey, milk, and orange juice as carbohydrate sources. Only 46% of participants correctly identified carbohydrate content on nutrition labels, and 58% practice self-monitoring blood glucose activities at home. Carbohydrate knowledge was positively associated with self-efficacy in blood glucose management (r² = 0.101, P = 0.003) and practicing self-monitoring blood glucose (r² = 0.064, P = 0.013).

There is a need to provide nutrition education about carbohydrate knowledge and blood glucose control to Vietnamese women to manage GDM.