Prevalencia de diabetes gestacional y factores de riesgo en mujeres embarazadas latinoamericanas: revisión narrativa

Introduction: Gestational diabetes is a worldwide emergency due to its high prevalence, high financial and social costs for its control and treatment. Objective: To identify the available evidence on the prevalence and risk factors for gestational diabetes in Latin American pregnant women. Methodology: narrative review. The synthesis was based on the steps of Ferreira, Urrutia and Alonso, 2011. A search was conducted in English and Spanish in Google Scholar, PubMed, SCIELO and Virtual Health Library. Critical reading followed the Joanna Briggs Institute guidelines for prevalence studies. Results: This review included 7 studies in Colombia, Argentina, Peru, and Mexico (2017-2024) with cross-sectional and observational designs. The sample ranged from 269 to 38,500 pregnant women. The prevalence of GD ranged from 0.2% to 24.9%. In Colombia, it ranged between 3.84% and 8.7%; in Argentina, between 9.8% and 24.9%; in Peru, it was 15.8%; and in Mexico, between 0.2% and 13.7%. Conclusion: the prevalence of GD varied according to the country and the diagnostic criteria used, which highlights the need for standardization in its identification. Overweight and obesity, advanced maternal age, family history of diabetes and high consumption of refined sugar were identified among the main risk factors. These elements reinforce the importance of constant monitoring and appropriate prevention strategies.