Uptake of postpartum diabetes screening after gestational diabetes: a five-year institution-based retrospective study in Ethiopia

Abstract

Women with a history of gestational diabetes are at a high risk of progression to type 2 diabetes, which makes postpartum diabetes screening a crucial preventive measure. Evidence on postpartum diabetes screening uptake is limited in Ethiopia. We assessed postpartum screening practices and determinants among women with a history of gestational diabetes. We conducted an institution-based retrospective chart review of 211 women who were diagnosed with gestational diabetes and delivered between January 2019 and January 2024 in a university teaching hospital in Ethiopia. Medical records were retrieved by simple random sampling. The primary outcome was postpartum diabetes screening within 6 months of delivery. Secondary outcomes were postpartum glycemic status and predictors of diabetes screening. Data was abstracted using a standardized form and analyzed in SPSS version 26. We report descriptive statistics and conducted multivariable logistic regression to identify factors independently associated with screening practice (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] and 95% confidence interval (CI)). Of 211 eligible women (mean age 31.52 years), 85 (40.3%) completed postpartum diabetes screening within 6 months of delivery. Among those screened, 20 (23.5%) women were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, and a further 20 (23.5%) had prediabetes at the time of testing. In multivariable regression, postpartum diabetes screening was more likely among women above 35 years of age (AOR 4.97; 95% CI (1.54, 16.0), those with medical comorbidity in pregnancy (AOR 4.17; 95% CI 1.80, 9.68), those with newborn birth weight > 4000 g (AOR 8.63; 95% CI 4.47, 20.6), and those with ≥ 8 antenatal care visits (AOR 5.98; 95% CI 2.52, 14.19). Postpartum diabetes screening remained suboptimal in this urban tertiary referral setting. Fewer than half of all women with prior gestational diabetes received postpartum diabetes screening and nearly half of the screened women had dysglycemia. Prospective studies should evaluate implementation strategies to improve postpartum diabetes screening in Ethiopia. Not applicable.

The authors' abstract, as published at the source. BMC Endocrine Disorders, 2026 · DOI ↗