Gamified Education for Diabetes Self-Management in GDM

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a serious public health problem characterized by hyperglycemia that develops during pregnancy and causes significant short- and long-term health risks for both the mother and the fetus. Lifestyle changes, especially appropriate diet and exercise practices and glycemic control are among the basic approaches in GDM management. However, the individual's adoption and sustainability of these approaches are often insufficient, and the individual's participation in treatment and motivation levels may be limited.

When the literature is examined, it has been proven that gamification-based interventions, especially in individuals with type 2 diabetes, have positive effects such as increasing the level of knowledge, encouraging physical activity and improving glycemic control. However, the lack of gamification-based nursing interventions specific to women with GDM is striking. The fact that there is no standardized nursing protocol specific to GDM management in our country makes the literature gap in this area even more evident.

This study aims to develop health behaviors in individuals with GDM through a gamified training program to be developed based on the Information-Motivation-Behavioral Skills (IMB) model. Thanks to the innovative structure of gamification, it is aimed not only to increase the knowledge level of individuals, but also to increase their motivation and make behavioral changes permanent. Thus, the active participation of the individual in the treatment process will be encouraged and the self- management skills will be strengthened.

This research will be an important step in terms of the integration of digitalization and patient-centered approaches in nursing practices, as well as indirectly contributing to the protection and development of public health. While the training program has the potential to increase the quality of life at the individual level, it will also allow the development of an original and structured nursing care intervention that can be used in GDM management.

This study aims to fill an important gap in the literature, to disseminate innovative practices in the field of nursing, and to support healthy pregnancy outcomes at the social level. For this reason, the purpose of the research was planned to examine the effect of the training program applied to women with gestational diabetes with the gamification technique based on the information-motivation-behavior (IMB) model on diabetes self-management.