IMPACT OF INTEGRATED AWARENESS PROGRAMME ON BEHAVIOURAL OUTCOMES REGARDING PREVENTION AND MANAGEMENT OF DIABETES IN PREGNANCY WITH REFERENCE TO NATIONAL GUIDELINES AMONG ANTENATAL WOMEN RESIDING AT BHILAI CHHATTISGARH

Abstract:

Diabetes in pregnancy, particularly Gestational Diabetes Mellitus, is a growing public health concern associated with significant maternal and fetal complications. Limited awareness and inadequate knowledge among antenatal women contribute to delayed diagnosis and poor management. The present study was conducted to assess the effectiveness of an integrated awareness programme on behavioural outcomes regarding prevention and management of diabetes in pregnancy among antenatal women. A quantitative research approach with a quasi-experimental design was adopted. A total of 400 antenatal women were selected using a non-probability sampling technique and divided into control and experimental groups. Pretest assessment of knowledge and perception was carried out using a structured questionnaire. The integrated awareness programme based on national guidelines was administered to the experimental group, followed by posttest evaluation. The findings revealed that the majority of antenatal women had inadequate knowledge and negative perception in the pretest. Post-intervention results showed a significant improvement in knowledge and perception scores in the experimental group compared to the control group. Statistical analysis using paired t-test demonstrated a significant difference between pretest and posttest scores in the experimental group (p < 0.05), indicating the effectiveness of the intervention. Furthermore, selected socio-demographic variables were found to have a significant association with knowledge and perception levels. The study concludes that the integrated awareness programme was effective in enhancing knowledge, improving perception, and promoting positive behavioural outcomes among antenatal women regarding prevention and management of diabetes in pregnancy. Implementation of such programmes at community and healthcare settings is recommended to improve maternal and fetal health outcomes.