THERAPEUTIC ROLE OF HOME-BASED EXERCISE WITH CONTEXT TO SAFE DELIVERY AND MANAGEMENT OF HEALTH CONSEQUENCES ASSOCIATED WITH GESTATIONAL DIABETES MELLITUS DURING THE THIRD TRIMESTER OF PREGNANCY

Abstract

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a common health complication that affects both the mother during pregnancy and the newborn baby.  The current study was intended to examine the effectiveness of home-based exercise as a therapeutic measure utilized in safe delivery and prevention of health complications in relation to GDM in the third trimester of pregnancy.  Sixty (60) third-trimester pregnant women were recruited and randomly assigned to two groups, an exercise group (EG) and a control group (CG); each group comprised thirty (30) participants. Ethical approval was taken from the ethical review board of the Department of Sports Sciences and Physical Education, University of the Punjab.  Likewise, informed consent was obtained from participants before participation in the study. Exercise intervention of low intensity for eight (08) weeks developed by Dayachee and Coombes (2015) was applied to EG. The level of glycemic control was assessed through hemoglobin (HbA1c) at the pre- and post-intervention stage, and the self-developed questionnaire was used after delivery to measure the perceptions of the participants about he safe childbirth and management of the outcomes of GDM.  The pre- and posttest results were processed through the statistical package for the Social Sciences (SPSS, version 32) by using suitable statistical tools. The intervention produced a statistically significant effect in glycemic parameters; the mean HbA1c levels were reduced between pre- and post-intervention in the EG ( Mean = 7.0200 -.14832 F = 10.822, df = 8, p < .002). In addition, the results indicated that the EG respondents noted several positive effects, such as better physical condition, a change in the affective state, and a positive experience during the pregnancy process. However, a percentage of participants mentioned logistical difficulties and physical pain as barriers to compliance. On the basis of findings, the study concluded that low-intensity training in the third trimester has a beneficial effect on glycemic control and can help to achieve healthier delivery results, alleviating the negative health effects of GDM.