Awareness of Preconception Care and Its Related Factors Among Women of Childbearing Age with Type 1 Diabetes in the South of Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Survey Study

BACKGROUND: Pregnancies in women with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) are associated with an increased risk of poor outcomes for mothers and their infants. OBJECTIVE: To assess the awareness of preconception care among women with T1DM and their self-management status in the southern region of Saudi Arabia. METHODS: This study is a cross-sectional study that was done on 187 women participated of childbearing age with T1DM who were seen in diabetic centers between June 2019 and September 2020. Pre-pregnancy care and disease management were assessed via a questionnaire. RESULTS: The prevalence of preconception awareness of diabetes management was 66.9%. Several factors significantly influenced the level of awareness, including education level (P= 0.001) and HbA1c (P= 0.014). In multivariate analysis, the lower educational level turns out to be a significant risk factor for low awareness (OR = 3.71, 95% CI [1.65, 8.31], P= 0.001). Additionally, compared to controlled DM, uncontrolled diabetes had a twofold increased risk of low awareness (OR = 2.03, 95% CI [1.08, 3.81], P= 0.027). CONCLUSION: The awareness level was significantly correlated with a high educational level and better glycemic control. Meanwhile, it was not significantly correlated with diabetes duration.