Abstract:
Health behavior during postpartum of women with gestational diabetes mellitus might be significant for preventing women to have long-term diabetes. This study aimed to study diabetes prevention behaviors and factors predicting diabetes prevention behaviors. The sample 102 was postpartum women with gestational diabetes mellitus attending obstetrics and gynecology clinic or diabetes clinic at Chonburi Hospital, Queen Sirikit Naval Hospital and Rayong Hospital. Data were collected by self questionnaires including demographic data, perceived susceptibility, perceived benefits, perceived barriers, self-efficacy, social support, and diabetes prevention behaviors. The content validity index of questionnaires were 1.00, 1.00, .91, 1.00, 1.00 and 1.00 and the Cronbachs alpha of questionnaires were .86, .91, .86, .71, .89 and .71 respectively. Data were analyzed by using descriptive statistics and standard multiple regression. The results found that average score of diabetes prevention behaviors was 52.48 (SD = 6.14) The significant factors which predicted diabetes prevention behaviors included self-efficacy (β = .639, p < .001) social support (β = .179, p = .025) perceived susceptibility perceived benefits and perceived barriers. The percentage of total variance explained by these factors among postpartum women with gestational diabetes mellitus was 56.3 % (R2 = .563, F2,99= 63.680, p < .001) Findings suggest that nurses and healthcare professionals should promote self-efficacy and social support in postpartum women with gestational diabetes mellitus to prevention diabetes in their later lives.