Perceived social support in pregnant women with gestational diabetes attending hospitals in western Iran compared to healthy controls and its relationship with perceived anxiety.

Background/purpose: Due to the importance of social support in pregnant women, especially those with gestational diabetes that cause anxiety and stress in them and requires effective and enough attention, this study aims to assess perceived social support of pregnant women with gestational diabetes in western Iran compared to healthy controls and its relationship with their perceived anxiety.

Methods: This is a descriptive/analytical study with a cross-sectional design conducted on 180 pregnant women with gestational diabetes (n = 89) and without gestational diabetes (n = 91) referred to the obstetrics and gynecology clinics of two hospitals (Asalian and Shahid Rahimi) in Khorramabad, western Iran. Data collection tools were a demographic checklist, the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), and the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI). Collected data were analyzed in SPSS v.20 software using chi square test, independent t-test, one-way ANOVA, and Pearson correlation test.

Results: The difference between the two groups was significant in terms of perceived support from family (p = 0.001), perceived support from friends (p = 0.006), and anxiety (p = 0.047). Pearson correlation test results showed a significant negative relationship between the scores of MSPSS and BAI in patients (r= -0.329, p = 0.001) and controls (r=-0.204, p = 0.006). There was a significant difference in the MSPSS score among diabetic women in terms of having fetal macrosomia (p = 0.005), occupation (p = 0.003), education (p = 0.001), and frequency of pregnancy (p = 0.010).

Conclusions: The perceived social support level is higher in diabetic pregnant women compared to healthy peers in western Iran. Improvement of social support from family and friends can reduce the anxiety of pregnant women with/without diabetes.