The Delta Healthy Sprouts Project is a randomized, controlled trial evaluating the enhancement of an existing Mother, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program in 150 African American women in their early second trimester of pregnancy. The control arm, Parents as Teachers, is an evidence-based approach to increase parental knowledge of child development and improve parenting practices. The experimental arm, Parents as Teachers Enhanced, builds on the Parents as Teachers curriculum by including nutrition and physical activity components specifically designed for the gestational and postnatal periods. Both arms of the intervention will be implemented by community-based, trained Parent Educators. The comparative effectiveness of the two intervention arms on weight status, dietary intake, and health behaviors of mothers and their infants will be assessed. The Delta Healthy Sprouts Project will determine if a novel, scalable, lifestyle intervention can improve the health of African American women and their children at high-risk for obesity and chronic disease.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
82
Participants will receive the same monthly Parents as Teachers (PaT) lessons and materials at each home visit as the PaT arm. Additionally, these mothers will receive the enhanced nutrition and physical activity lessons and materials which will follow the family well-being format of the PaT lessons. The StartSmart lessons will focus on healthy gestational weight gain, diet, physical activity, breastfeeding, weight management, healthy eating, food shopping, meal preparation, physical activity, proper infant feeding, and infant activity time.
Participants will receive monthly Parents as Teachers (PaT) lessons and materials at each home visit. The Parent Educator will first connect with the mother by discussing or reviewing content from the prior visit; reflect on the mother's experience with continuing the parent-child activity from the prior visit; and agree on what will happen during the current visit. For the lesson plan, the Parent Educator will cover the following three areas using discussion, activities, and handouts: parent-child interaction, develop-centered parenting, and family well-being. In closing, the Parent Educator will review and evaluate the visit, talk about the mother's next step, and plan for the next visit.
USDA Agricultural Research Service Mid South Area Office
Stoneville, Mississippi, United States
Gestational weight gain
Percentages of gestational weight gain which fall within the ranges recommended by the Institute of Medicine (based on pre-pregnancy body mass index)
Time frame: 9 months gestation
Maternal postpartum weight retention
Amount of weight retained at 12 months postpartum compared to self-reported pre-pregnancy weight
Time frame: 12 months postnatal
Maternal dietary intake
Dietary intake measured using 24-hour dietary recall
Time frame: 12 months postpartum
Maternal physical activity
Physical activity measured using a physical activity questionnaire
Time frame: 12 months postpartum
Infant dietary intake
Dietary intake measured using 24-hour dietary recall as reported by mother
Time frame: 12 months after birth
Infant activity
Activity measured using responses to questions concerning time spent confined (e.g. in infant seat) and unconfined (e.g. on play mat)
Time frame: 12 months after birth
Infant body mass index
Incremental body mass index during the first year of life
Time frame: 12 months after birth
Breastfeeding
Breastfeeding initiation and continuation for first 12 months after birth of infant
Time frame: 12 months postpartum
Home food environment
Measured using home food inventory; based on direct observation of foods in household (i.e. in refrigerator, freezer, pantry, cupboards, or other areas food is stored)
Time frame: 12 months postpartum
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