Aim: To compare the clinical characteristics between women with gestational diabetes (GDM) who were born in Australia or overseas amongst women from 2 ethnic groups: Middle Eastern as well as East/Southeast Asian backgrounds.
Method: We conducted a prospective audit of 775 women and selected out women of Middle Eastern and East/South-East Asian background with gestational diabetes during 2023-2024 and assessed for characteristics including age, pre- pregnancy body mass index (BMI), weight, family history of diabetes, smoking status, parity, oral glucose tolerance test, HbA1c at diagnosis, gestational week of diagnosis, Edinburgh Depression score (EDS), and percentage of women who planned pregnancy.
Results: Amongst women from Middle Eastern background, there were 111 women born overseas and 59 born in Australia, while there were 95 women born overseas and 29 women born in Australia amongst women from East/South-Asian backgrounds. Preliminary results show that women who were born in Australia were significantly younger in both groups: 29.3±4.6 vs 32.3±5.4years (p<0.001) for those from Middle Eastern background and 31.4±4.2 vs 34.3±4.4 years (p=0.003) amongst those from East/South-East Asian background. Pre- pregnancy BMI and weights were significantly higher in the East/South-East Asian group born in Australia compared to overseas born at 28.9±6.8 kg/m2 vs 24.5±4.5kg/m2(p< 0.001); 75.3± 17.5 vs 61.8 ± 12.1 (p<0.001). On the other hand, the pre- pregnancy weight was higher in the Australian born middle eastern group 79.6±19.6 vs 74.1±14.9kg (p =0.044), but not their pre-pregnancy BMI. Smoking is more prevalent among Middle Eastern women born in Australia (11.9 vs 0.9%, p=0.001). There was no difference in parity, glucose tolerance test results, HbA1c, family history of diabetes and EDS between the Australia-born and oversea-born women in both ethnic groups.
Conclusion:
People of East/South-East Asian descent with GDM born in Australia had a higher pre-pregnancy weight and BMI compared to their overseas born peers. Interestingly, both Middle Eastern and Southeast Asian ethnicities with GDM had a higher maternal age in those born overseas compared to those born in Australia. Women born in Australia from middle east background are also more likely to smoke. Further analyses will be done to see if the pregnancy outcomes of women from these 2 ethnic groups differ according to where they were born.