The Effects of Education on Oral Glucose Tolerance Test in First Antenatal Care Follow-Up on Having the Test: Semi-Experimental Study.

Background: Although the Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT) is routinely recommended during pregnancy, the number of people who have the test is decreasing. Failure to perform the OGTT poses a risk for both mother and baby health. Objective: This study was conducted to investigate the effects of the education given on the Oral Glucose Tolerance Test in the first antenatal follow-up of pregnant women on having the test. Methodology: In this study, 385 pregnant women (192 in the control group and 193 in the education group) were included. The present study was designed as a quasi-experimental study. The education group was provided with comprehensive education on the oral glucose tolerance test by the researcher after the questionnaire and then an education brochure on the oral glucose tolerance test. The pregnant women in both groups were contacted by phone between the 30th and 37th weeks of pregnancy and were asked whether they had the test or not. In data analysis, descriptive statistics, Chi-square independence test and Binary regression analysis were conducted. Results: Before the education, most pregnant women in both groups would not have OGTT in their current pregnancy (p>0.05). In the second interview after the education, 79.3% of the participants in the education group had oral glucose tolerance test, whereas only 38.5% of the participants in the control group had oral glucose tolerance test (p<0.05). The binary regression analysis results showed that the rate of having oral glucose tolerance test was higher in those with high school and university education (p<0.05). Conclusion: The findings indicated that the education provided using written, verbal, and visual methods based on scientific evidence in the first antenatal follow-ups increased the rate of having oral glucose tolerance test during pregnancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]