Gestational Diabetes Self-Care Behavior: An Empowerment Educational Intervention Based on BASNEF Model

Gestational diabetes is a widespread pregnancy-related health problem. Its associated complications can be minimized by empowering women to enhance their self-care behavior. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of an educational intervention using the Beliefs, Attitudes, Subjective Norms, and Enabling Factors (BASNEF) model on Gestational Diabetes Self-Care Behaviors (GD-SCB) among gestational diabetic woman.

A randomized controlled clinical trial was performed at the outpatient clinic, El-Shatby hospital, Alexandria, Egypt, on 180 gestational diabetic women (91 intervention and 89 control groups). Data were collected from April to November 2019 using an interviewing schedule involving sociodemographic characteristics and obstetrics/medical history, BASNEF model questionnaire, and gestational diabetes self-care behavior scale.

The findings revealed that an absence of statistically significant differences in sociodemographic characteristics and obstetrics/medical history between the intervention and control groups. Two months post-intervention, all BASNEF model subcontracts and total GD-SCB showed significant improvement in the intervention than the control group; knowledge (F1 = 173.92, p < 0.001), personal beliefs (F₁ = 286.54, p < 0.001), subjective norms (F₁ = 248.82, p < 0.001), behavioral intention (F₁ = 235.43, p < 0.001), enabling factors (F₁ = 59.71, p < 0.001), and total GD-SCB (F₁ = 775.10, p < 0.001). The effect size showed that 48.60% of the improvement within the intervention group total GD-SCB was due to the intervention.

Empowerment through education using the BASNEF model for enhancing GD-SCB was effective and beneficial. Therefore, it can serve as a basic framework for constructing and executing educational programs in the field.