Table 1 Participants’ attitudes towards T2DM prevention through postpartum interventions
Postpartum interventions | Summary of participants’ main attitudes |
|---|---|
Regular Screening for T2DM | Ongoing screening for T2DM was acceptable to most of the women sampled (n = 18, 90%) Women felt that this would be best done at healthcare facilities, like specialized maternal and child health hospitals, and community hospitals |
Lifestyle changes | Most women felt that diet and lifestyle changes would be acceptable during the postpartum period (n = 17, 85%) Women reported lifestyle interventions are in line with their goals, like losing weight Women felt they could be more flexible with lifestyle changes to suit their lives Less perception of risk to the child, especially during breastfeeding |
Medications | There was a wide range of attitudes towards whether or not women would be comfortable taking medications to prevent T2DM Several women sampled stated they would refuse to participate in any drug interventions (n = 8, 40%) Safety concerns were raised around the potential harm to both the mother and the baby Women discussed that taking drugs for disease prevention is less acceptable in the cultural context of China Some women were more open to taking medications they had used for BG management during pregnancy after the birth to prevent T2DM, for example insulin and metformin (n = 4, 20%) |
mHealth intervention delivery | There was a strong preference for interventions delivered through mobile platforms (n = 18, 90%) All interviewees reported using smartphone Apps /WeChat functions for maternal and child healthcare, including official Apps or WeChat functions from their hospital, as well as commercial Apps |