Prevalence of gestational diabetes and contributing factors among pregnant Jordanian women attending Jordan University Hospital

To determine the prevalence of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and associated risk factors among pregnant Jordanian women attending Jordan University hospital. A cross-sectional study conducted on 644 singleton pregnancies screened for GDM with 75-g, 2-h oral glucose tolerance test at 24–28 weeks of gestation between January 2015 and January 2016 in Jordan. The diagnosis of GDM was reached through WHO criteria. Maternal characteristics and demographic information, and obstetrics’ histories, were collected. The prevalence of GDM with it’s risk factors was then determined. The prevalence of GDM was 13.5%. A statistically significant increase in prevalence was observed among pregnant women with increase in the following variables: maternal age, gravidity, parity, maternal pre-pregnancy BMI, maternal BMI at the time of the tests and with the presence of acanthosis nigricans, past history of gestational diabetes, and family history of diabetes mellitus type II with a p `0.001, p 0.005, p 0.013, p 0.000, p 0.000, p 0.001, p 0.016, and p 0.001 respectively. The impact of GDM on maternal and infant health is of great clinical and public health importance and imposes a significant economic burden. The prevalence of GDM seems to be quite high in Jordan. Given that women with diabetes are unaware of their condition, all pregnant women should be screened for oral glucose tolerance test and encouraged to do it at the proper time.