Lifestyle Intervention for Prevention of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus in the UAE Population

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a high blood glucose (hyperglycemia) first occurring or first recognized during pregnancy, it is affecting 16.4% of women globally and 36.6 % in this region. It is consistent, strong evidence on the impact of GDM on short and long term health impacts on both mother and her child, thereby presenting significant challenges to acute care and public health. Currently, our understanding of strategies that are effective in preventing GDM is limited. Indeed, prospective studies have indicated a positive result of lifestyle intervention on preventing the risk of GDM in pregnant women but we lack consistency in the findings from randomized controlled trials (RCT). Moreover, most of these trials have been reported from developed countries and none of them were presented from this region. In the present project, we aim to determine whether GDM can be prevented by a 12-week moderate lifestyle intervention compared with usual standard care in high-risk pregnant women. In addition, we will also examine maternal pregnancy and birth outcomes.