. 2018 Feb 5;18:34. doi: 10.1186/s12905-018-0518-z

Table 1.

Description of development of beliefs about illness in migrant women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) born in African countries living in Sweden

Variable	Gestational week 34–38	3 months after delivery	12 months after delivery
Emotions related to being informed about the diagnosis of GDM	Sad, worried Not perceived as serious One lost appetite One searched for information Calmed down after information from hc staff	Calm after information from hc staff Risk of relapse stated by one	Calm after information from hc staff Risk of relapse stated by one
Beliefs about duration of GDM	During pregnancy	It is gone but unsure whether cured, might come back	Most said it has gone but unsure whether cured
Beliefs about duration of GDM	The physician has said it is transient, will disappear after delivery	Fewer said they didn’t know but had been informed by health professionals that it would disappear.	Risk of relapse stated by one ‘God decides’, important to manage your health^b
Consequences of GDM for health	No problems Hope it will not affect/influence health negatively	Fewer claimed no problems No time for oneself The will of God^b	Even fewer claimed no problems Worried about health
Problems related to GDM Worries related to having been diagnosed GDM	Difficulties changing lifestyle^a Physical health problems; headache, nausea, vomiting^a Stress and worries related to GDM^a Fear and worry about - not being able to live a normal life, being bound to life-style changes (not eating sweet things) - of having diabetes, relapse of GDM, insulin injections Fear for the health of the child mentioned by two women	Difficulties changing lifestyle, particularly diet emphasised here^a Compared to during pregnancy less pronounced fear and worries about - not being able to live a normal life, being bound to life-style changes (not eating sweet things) - having diabetes, relapse of GDM, insulin injections	Difficulties changing lifestyle^a Stress and worries related to lifestyle changes^a Fear and worry about - not being able to live a normal life, being bound to life-style changes (not eating sweet things) - of having diabetes, relapse of GDM, insulin injections of having diabetes-related complications mentioned by one woman
Beliefs about future health	Hope for good health	Hope for good health Worries about future health of the child and herself God decides^b	Hope for good health God decides^b

As main analytical categories in data analysis the following have been used, when appropriate, according to the lay theory model of illness causation by Helman [33]: ^aIndividual factors; ^bSupernatural factors