Lived experience of women with gestational diabetes mellitus living in China: a qualitative interview study

OBJECTIVE: To explore the lived experience of women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) living in China in order to add knowledge about how the Chinese women suffer from GDM. DESIGN: A qualitative interpretive interview study. Data were collected with a snowball sampling technique. Phenomenological hermeneutics was used as the analysis method based on Ricoeur’s phenomenological hermeneutical interpretation theory. SETTING: The study was performed at the participants’ work places, or at the obstetric clinics or wards at two provincial hospitals and one municipal hospital in the southeast of China. PARTICIPANTS: Inclusion criteria were age ≥18 years, diagnosis of GDM without other pregnancy complications, in 34th gestational weeks—postpartum 4th weeks and speaking Mandarin Chinese without speech impediment. 62 women, who met the inclusion criteria, took part in the study. RESULTS: The lived experience of the women with GDM living in China was formulated into a main theme: ‘longing for caring care’. The main theme was derived from four themes: being stricken by GDM, wishing to receive caring GDM care, being left alone to struggle with GDM and trying to adjust and adapt to life with GDM. CONCLUSION: The eagerness for caring care in China was highlighted. The lack of caring care could be one of the possible reasons why the professional–patient relations were deteriorating in China. It could be useful for health providers and health policymakers to receive education and training about caring care. Using the health metaphor of balance and ‘patient participation’ and ‘patient-centred’ approaches may benefit women with GDM and thus improve the quality of care in China.