Impact of Health Education Combined with Balanced Diet Therapy on Blood Glucose and Nutritional Indicators for Postpartum Care of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus Patients

Objective: To investigate the health education in postpartum care of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) patients. Methods: The comparison of health behavior scores, blood glucose levels, nutritional status, and family caregiver satisfaction between the two groups on the day before discharge, at 2 weeks postpartum, and at 4 weeks postpartum. Results: At 4 weeks postpartum, the observation group was found carrying health behavior score significantly higher than that of the control group (P < 0.05). Prior to discharge, however, no significant differences were found in both the groups (P < 0.05) in fasting plasma glucose (FPG), 2−hour postprandial glucose (2hPG), or glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c). However, at 4 weeks postpartum, FPG, 2hPG, and HbA1c had significantly decreased in the observation group in comparison with the control group (P < 0.05). At 2 and 4 weeks postpartum, total cholesterol and higher albumin and transferrin levels also reduced in the observation group in comparison with the control group (P < 0.05). The caregiver’s satisfaction was significantly higher in the observation group (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Health education combined with balanced diet therapy can effectively improve the nutritional status, control blood glucose levels, and enhance family caregiver satisfaction in postpartum patients with gestational diabetes. This approach is worth promoting and applying in clinical practice.