141st APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition

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280886
Psychosocial stress in pregnancy and risk of gestational diabetes in hispanic women


Monday, November 4, 2013

Marushka L. Silveira, MPH, BDS, Division of Biostatistics & Epidemiology, Department of Public Health, School of Public Health & Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA
Penelope Pekow, PhD, Department of Biostatistics & Epidemiology, School of Public Health and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA
Glenn Markenson, MD, Maternal Fetal Medicine, Baystate Medical Center, Springfield, MA
Nancy Dole, PhD, Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC
Lisa Chasan-Taber, ScD, Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA
Psychosocial stress has been positively associated with risk of type 2 diabetes; but studies during pregnancy are sparse. We evaluated the relationship between prenatal stress and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) among 1114 Hispanic participants in Proyecto Buena Salud, a prospective cohort study in Western Massachusetts (2006-2011). Cohen's Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-14) was administered in early (mean=12.3 weeks gestation) and mid (mean=21.3 weeks gestation) pregnancy. Medical records were abstracted for blood glucose values. Mean±SD perceived stress scores were 25.9±7.1 (range 3-48) during early and 24.9±7.5 (range 2-47) during mid-pregnancy. A total of 49 (4.1%) women were diagnosed with GDM. Increasing age (Odds Ratio (OR) = 9.5, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 4.0-22.2 for >30 vs. 16-19 years; ptrend<.0001), education (OR=2.5, 95% CI 1.1-5.9 for post high school vs. less than high school; ptrend=0.01), and body mass index (BMI) (OR= 3.7, 95% CI 1.7-7.8 for obese vs. normal/underweight; ptrend<.001) were positively associated with GDM. After adjustment for age and BMI, women in the highest quartile of stress during early (OR=1.1, 95% CI 0.4-2.9; ptrend=0.52) and mid pregnancy (OR=0.5, 95% CI 0.1-2.2; ptrend=0.32) were not at increased risk for GDM as compared to women in the lowest quartile. Change in stress as a continuous score from early to mid-pregnancy was also not associated with GDM (OR=1.0, 95% CI 0.9-1.1). In this population of predominantly Puerto Rican women, psychosocial stress in pregnancy was not significantly associated with GDM.

Learning Areas:

Epidemiology
Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
Assess psychosocial stress among a high risk population of pregnant Hispanic women and evaluate psychosocial stress as a modifiable risk factor for Gestational Diabetes.

Keyword(s): Prenatal Care, Mental Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am a doctoral candidate in Epidemiology with interests in psychosocial and behavioral determinants of health, particularly during pregnancy. The submitted abstract is part of my doctoral dissertation, examining the psychosocial factors affecting pregnant women.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 3188.0: Social/Behavior Epidemiology and Epidemiology of Health Disparities (Poster Session 2)