Assessment of knowledge and attitude of gestational diabetes mellitus among Saudi Women in Al Ahsa

Background: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) definedas a temporarily type of diabetes induced by insulin resistance and pancreatic beta-cell dysfunction during pregnancy, GDM can cause major complications, but it can also be avoided and treated. Methods: A cross-sectional study was done in Alahsa, Saudi Arabia during the period from March 5 to March 18, 2021, using a validated questionnaire with 17 items concerning GDM awareness and understanding. Participants were categorised into low knowledge (10/17) and fair/good knowledge (11/17) based on their replies. Results: The study included 464 adult females aged 24.9-11.6 years from the Alahsa region. According to our survey, nearly one in every five females (22.8 percent) had strong understanding of GDM, which is considered as low percentage. Also our findings shows that more than three-quarters of the study females are aware of the risks of untreated GDM, and two-thirds (69%) are aware that GDM. Furthermore, females awareness of GDM complication was reasonably good. conclusion: Our study declares that there is a significant frequency of low awareness, knowledge, and awareness about GDM on Alahsa region.