History of mood or anxiety disorders and risk of gestational diabetes mellitus in a population‐based cohort

Aim To examine the association between mood and anxiety disorders and the development of gestational diabetes mellitus in a retrospective population‐based cohort study. Methods Clinical data from a provincial perinatal health registry were linked to physician claims, hospitalization records and emergency visits to identify any diagnoses of mood or anxiety disorders in the 2 years prior to pregnancy and a subsequent diagnosis of gestational diabetes during pregnancy. The study population included all singleton pregnancies in the Canadian province of Alberta from 1 April 2000 to 31 March 2010. Generalized estimating equations were used to determine the adjusted odds ratio of gestational diabetes, comparing women with and without a history of mood or anxiety disorders. Results Among 373 674 pregnancies from 253 911 women, 25.7% had a history of mood or anxiety disorders, and 3.8% developed gestational diabetes. The multivariate‐adjusted odds of developing gestational diabetes were higher among women with a history of mood or anxiety disorders (odds ratio 1.10, 95% CI 1.06–1.14). Conclusions Women with a history of mood or anxiety disorders had a moderately increased risk of developing gestational diabetes.