Development of a gestational diabetes risk assessment scale: a validity and reliability study

Area of Science:

• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Public Health
• Medical Statistics

Background:

• Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) poses significant risks to both mother and fetus.
• Accurate risk assessment is crucial for timely intervention and improved pregnancy outcomes.
• Existing risk assessment tools may require validation or adaptation for specific populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a reliable risk assessment scale for gestational diabetes (GEDRISK).
• To evaluate the psychometric properties of the GEDRISK scale in a diverse sample of pregnant women.
• To establish GEDRISK as a practical tool for identifying individuals at high risk of GDM.

Main Methods:

• Methodological study involving 652 pregnant women in İstanbul.
• Content validity assessed using content validity index (CVI).
• Construct validity evaluated through exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses (EFA/CFA).
• Reliability tested using Cronbach's alpha, split-half methods, and test-retest analysis.

Main Results:

• The GEDRISK scale demonstrated strong content validity (CVI=0.83).
• EFA revealed an 18-item, 5-subdimension scale explaining 57.48% of the variance.
• Confirmatory factor analysis indicated good model fit (e.g., RMSEA=0.04, CFI=0.95).
• High internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha=0.756) and reliability (Spearman-Brown=0.826) were confirmed.
• The scale identified 51% of women diagnosed with GDM via oral glucose tolerance test.

Conclusions:

• The GEDRISK scale is a valid and reliable instrument for measuring gestational diabetes risk.
• The scale is suitable for use in the Turkish population, aiding in early GDM risk identification.
• GEDRISK can support clinical decision-making and targeted interventions for pregnant women at risk of GDM.