Almost half of women in the US gain weight during pregnancy in excess of recommendations. Excessive gestational weight gain (EGWG) is associated with numerous deleterious maternal and child outcomes. There is a clear need for interventions designed to reduce EGWG. Prenatal physical activity is an attractive intervention strategy to reduce EGWG as it is also associated with many health benefits. Unfortunately, nearly 80% of pregnant women in the US are not meeting the current recommendations for prenatal physical activity (i.e. 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity per week). Knowledge and skill building need to be coupled with strong motivation to increase the likelihood one will consistently engage in regular prenatal physical activity. We suggest that of particular importance to instilling motivation to be active prenatally is the interrelationship between physical activity and mood and sleep. The proposed study will address this need by testing the feasibility of a theoretically-based (e.g., social cognitive theory), peer-led wellness intervention, ?My Baby My Move+? (MBMM+) to reduce EGWG by targeting physical activity, mood, and sleep.
The specific aims of the study are to 1) Determine feasibility (i.e., acceptability and demand) of the MBMM+ program. Acceptability will be measured using patients? satisfaction with the MBMM+ program, perceived appropriateness of the MBMM+ program (i.e., did the MBMM+ program increase patient knowledge, beliefs, and skills related to safe and effective activity) and increased physical activity mediators (self- efficacy, self-regulation, and social support). Demand will be measured using the number of participants who engage in the MBMM+ program; and 2) Examine the impact of the MBMM+ program on EGWG at 12 weeks post-baseline to determine estimates of effect size for a future, larger randomized trial. We will also explore the relationships among prenatal physical activity, sleep, mood, and GWG to inform estimates of effect sizes for these secondary outcomes in the future larger trial. In summary, we propose to develop and test a potentially feasible as well as sustainable EGWG intervention to instill good healthy habits (e.g., prenatal physical activity, good sleep hygiene, stress management) during and beyond pregnancy.
Excessive gestational weight gain (EGWG) is associated with numerous poor maternal and child outcomes. Prenatal physical activity may reduce the likelihood of EGWG; however many women fail to engage in regular prenatal physical activity. The proposed study aims to develop and test a community-based, peer-led prenatal physical activity program to reduce EGWG.
