The Postpartum Weight Management Study is a true community-academic collaboration, bringing together Maternity Care Coalition (MCC) staff and the investigator, Dr. Charmaine Smith Wright from the University of Pennsylvania to address the needs of postpartum moms. The project is an innovative intervention to help moms lose weight after the birth of their baby. Helping mothers control their weight during pregnancy and beyond can help both mother and baby avoid later obesity and cardiovascular disease. Although all women are at risk for retaining the weight gained during pregnancy, this problem is amplified for low-income, minority women. The holistic approach aims to prevent postpartum weight retention and increase breastfeeding duration with a multi-component, low-cost intervention that provides: 1) Motivational appeals delivered in text message format; 2) Environmental aides, such as a baby carrier to combine exercise with infant care, and a pedometer to accurately measure exercise at home; 3) Enhanced peer support, including home visits and group classes with other mothers; and 4) Task-oriented professional support from nutrition and lactation experts, who assist women in developing a personalized health plan. The effectiveness of the intervention will be evaluated using a randomized control methodology among clients of MCC.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
SINGLE
Enrollment
175
6 week challenge with 1 year of home visits: health texting, in home exercise supports, social support, healthy eating and feeding classes
Maternity Care Coalition
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Postpartum weight change
Weight difference at one year post intervention and start of intervention
Time frame: Baseline and 1 year post intervention
Postpartum weight change
Weight difference at 6 months post intervention and start of intervention
Time frame: Baseline and 6 months post intervention start
Depression
Using Edinburgh perinatal depression screen score, as a continuous and dichotomous (Yes/No) variable
Time frame: Baseline, 6 weeks, 6 months, and 1 year post intervention start
Dietary quality
Descriptive analysis of a food log from the time points proposed
Time frame: Baseline, 6 weeks, 6 months, and 1 year post intervention
Infant growth
Infant weight for length percentile at 6 weeks, 6 months, and 1 year post intervention (weight in pounds and length in inches converted to weight for length percentile using World Health Organization software support http://www.who.int/childgrowth/software/readme\_stata.pdf?ua=1)
Time frame: Baseline, 6 weeks, 6 months, and 1 year post intervention start
Nutrition knowledge score change
Using validated nutrition knowledge scale at 6 weeks, 6 months, and 1 year post intervention, difference from baseline
Time frame: Baseline, 6 weeks, 6 months, and 1 year post intervention start
Waist circumference as continuous measure, in inches
Acquired at study assessments at the proposed time points
Time frame: Baseline, 6 weeks, 6 months, and 1 year post intervention start
Back to prepregnancy weight
Dichotomous (yes/no) variable describing whether the subject returned to pre-pregnancy weight (difference between 1 year post and self-reported pre-pregnancy weight at baseline time point survey=0) or not
Time frame: baseline and 1 year post intervention
Back to pregnancy weight, continuous
Continuous (difference in 1 year post-intervention weight and self-reported pre-pregnancy weight reported at baseline time point survey) variable describing the change in weight over time
Time frame: baseline and 1 year postpartum
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