Descriptive characteristics
| Main cohort (n=622) | Nested long-term cohort (n=162) | |
| Age at first GDM visit (years) | 33.2 ± 5.4 | 33.5 ± 5.5 |
| Nationality | ||
| Switzerland | 173 (27.8) | 54 (33.3) |
| Europe and North America | 200 (32.1) | 52 (32.1) |
| Africa | 106 (17.0) | 30 (18.5) |
| Asia and West Pacific | 90 (14.5) | 21 (13.0) |
| Latin America | 29 (4.7) | 2 (1.2) |
| Other | 24 (3.9) | 3 (1.9) |
| Educational status | (n=265) | (n=103) |
| None | 4 (1.5) | 3 (2.9) |
| Mandatory school | 62 (23.4) | 32 (31.1) |
| General and vocational education | 33 (12.5) | 14 (13.6) |
| High school | 56 (21.1) | 22 (21.3) |
| University | 110 (41.5) | 32 (31.1) |
| Occupation at first GDM visit | (n=480) | (n=147) |
| Student | 19 (4.0) | 4 (2.7) |
| Employed | 289 (60.2) | 90 (61.2) |
| Unemployed | 74 (15.4) | 27 (18.4) |
| At home | 98 (20.4) | 26 (17.7) |
| Smoking status at first GDM visit | ||
| Current | 85 (13.7) | 25 (15.5) |
| Former* | 7 (1.1) | 2 (1.2) |
| Previous pregnancy prior to first GDM visit | ||
| None | 194 (31.2) | 55 (33.9) |
| 1 | 178 (28.6) | 49 (30.3) |
| 2 | 126 (20.3) | 32 (19.8) |
| 3 | 70 (11.2) | 13 (8.0) |
| ≥4 | 54 (8.7) | 13 (8.0) |
| History of prior GDM† | (n=428) | (n=107) |
| Present | 47 (11.0) | 14 (13.1) |
| Family history of diabetes | ||
| First degree‡ | 202 (32.5) | 58 (35.8) |
| Second degree§ | 120 (19.3) | 29 (17.9) |
| Psychological status | ||
| WHO well-being score at first GDM visit | 60.3 ± 19.9 (n=300) | 62.6 ± 19.6 (n=148) |
| EPDS at early PP visit | 6.0 ± 4.4 (n=212) | 6.0 ± 4.4 (n=96) |
| Treatment during pregnancy | ||
| Only lifestyle intervention | 286 (46.0) | 60 (42.0) |
| Lifestyle intervention+metformin | 40 (6.4) | 5 (3.1) |
| Lifestyle intervention+metformin+insulin | 13 (2.1) | 3 (1.8) |
| Lifestyle intervention+insulin | 283 (45.5) | 86 (53.1) |
| Breastfeeding at early PP visit | (n=538) | (n=151) |
| Present | 497 | 138 |
| Contraception at early PP visit | (n=180) | (n=62) |
| Present | 110 | 37 |
Data are presented as mean±SD or as n (%). The number of patients for each analysis is indicated in brackets and in italic, when different from the total number of patients.
*Stopped since the pregnancy.
†Only applicable to the 428 patients with a previous pregnancy.
‡Mother, father, sister and brother.
§Grandmother, grandfather, step sister, step brother, niece and nephew.
EPDS, Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Score; GDM, gestational diabetes mellitus; PP, postpartum; WHO, World Health Organisation.