Mary Carolan|Cheryl Steele|Heather Margetts
Knowledge of gestational diabetes among a multi-ethnic cohort in Australia
Victoria University|Sunshine Hospital|Western Health|Sunshine Hospital|Western Health
explore knowledge gestational diabetes gdm among multiethnic sample women receiving antenatal care melbourne australiacrosssectional comparative surveydiabetes clinic located public hospital melbournes western suburbs143 pregnant women gdm vietnamese indian filipino caucasian backgrounds200 questionnaires distributed 143 returned response rate 715 statistically significant differences ethnic groups terms educational level p0001 fluency english p0001 educational levels measured completed years schooling lowest among vietnamese mean 85 years standard deviation sd 10 filipino mean 89 years sd 15 caucasian mean 102 years sd 09 women indian women higher mean level education 116 years sd 09 fluency english reported 100 caucasian indian filipino women 533 vietnamese women required interpreter services womens answers varied ethnicity educational status vietnamese filipino women displayed least knowledge gdm food values caucasian women also scored poorly general knowledge gdm indian women scored highest across areas interestvietnamese women poorest english skills lowest educational levels identified group greatest risk misunderstanding gdm english language proficiency alone however associated better comprehension gdm study higher educational level factor linked increased comprehension therefore important new educational strategies developed address lower health literacy well cultural factors caring multiethnic populations gdm approach may also serve address lower levels comprehension among caucasian populations