ResearchOriginal Research: BriefEthnic Differences in Dietary Management of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: A Mixed Methods Study Comparing Ethnic Chinese Immigrants and Australian Women
Section snippets
Methods
This research was part of a larger predominantly qualitative mixed methods study with embedded quantitative components, exploring perceptions and experiences of ethnic Chinese migrants living with GDM compared with Australian-born white women with GDM. Interview data examining views on dietary practices, nutritional needs, and supplementation use and the 3-day dietary recall data were collected concurrently.
Results
A total of 83 women (44 Chinese and 39 white) with GDM agreed to participate, with 42 Chinese and 30 white participants completing both the qualitative and quantitative study components. Potential participants who declined study participation indicated lack of interest. Two Chinese and nine white women completed the quantitative component only, citing being “too busy” to explain nonparticipation in interviews. There were no significant differences in demographic characteristics between
Discussion
To our knowledge, this is the first mixed methods study that has compared ethnic Chinese women with GDM and their Australian-born white counterparts about perceptions of dietary self-management, nutritional intake, and supplement use. Findings indicate that satisfaction, or otherwise, with GDM education influences self-management strategies. Chinese participants commented that they received insufficiently detailed and inadequately culturally adaptive dietary advice, which resulted in them
Conclusions
Nutritional management underpins the successful management of GDM. This work suggests that dietary advice needs to be culturally appropriate to be understood, accepted, and acted upon. This study provides evidence to advocate for greater recognition of culturally based dietary and learning preferences. Culturally competent care for Chinese women with GDM may be enhanced by the provision of more didactic, concrete advice regarding culturally relevant carbohydrate food alternatives, dietary
C. S. Wan is a PhD candidate, Monash Centre for Health Research and Implementation, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia; and School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.
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Risk factors associated with gestational diabetes mellitus: The role of pregnancy-induced hypertension and physical inactivity
2020, Pregnancy HypertensionCitation Excerpt :This study also found that previous GDM independently increased the odds of recurrence. This finding is in approval with the Wings Project findings that reported women with GDM are more likely to have a previous history of GDM than those without [32] and with other preceding studies [33,34]. This result proclaims the vital importance of focused antenatal care for women with previous GDM.
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C. S. Wan is a PhD candidate, Monash Centre for Health Research and Implementation, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia; and School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.
H. Teede is an endocrinologist, Monash Centre for Health Research and Implementation, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia; School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia; and the Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes, Monash Health, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.
A. Nankervis is an endocrinologist, Departments of Diabetes and Endocrinology, The Royal Melbourne and Royal Women's Hospitals, Parkville, Victoria, Australia, and the Department of Medicine, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
R. Aroni is a senior lecturer, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia; and Medical School, College of Health and Medicine, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia.
STATEMENT OF POTENTIAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
FUNDING/SUPPORT C. S. Wan was supported by Research Training Program from the Australian Government. H. Teede was supported by National Health and Medical Research Council fellowships. The funding had no direct involvement in this study.
AUTHOR CONTRIBUTIONS All authors contributed equally to the conception and design of the research. C. S. Wan was responsible for conducting the research, data analysis, and drafting the manuscript. R. Aroni also contributed to the analysis of the translated English transcripts to ensure intercoder agreement. All authors critically revised the manuscript, agree to be fully accountable for ensuring the integrity and accuracy of the work, and read and approved the final manuscript.
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MNutr&Diet=Master of Nutrition and Dietetics (Australia-certified).
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APD=Accredited Practising Dietitian (Australia-certified).