Building Social Networks to Enhance Postpartum Weight Loss and Appropriate Infant Feeding Practices

Overview

The purpose of this study is to examine whether we can use social networks to spread health information and health behaviors that 1) support women in returning to their pre-pregnancy weight after delivery; and 2) promote healthy infant feeding practices.

Study Type

  • Study Type: Interventional
  • Study Design
    • Allocation: Randomized
    • Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
    • Primary Purpose: Prevention
    • Masking: None (Open Label)
  • Study Primary Completion Date: August 2011

Detailed Description

The long-term goal of this research is to prevent obesity-related adverse health outcomes for future generations by applying information emerging from social network studies to the development of new population-based behavioral interventions. There are a number of critical periods during fetal and infant development that appear to influence the later development of obesity. Interventions that prevent insult to these critical windows from occurring could improve children's life course trajectories. This project sets the groundwork for examining whether social networks could explicitly be utilized to prevent obesity from developing by transmitting health information and health behaviors that 1) prevent postpartum weight retention in first time mothers and 2) promote appropriate infant feeding practices. The secondary aim is to assess which individual-level network-related characteristics best predict postpartum body composition and infant feeding practices.

Interventions

  • Behavioral: Social network building intervention
    • Group support and health education sessions weekly during third trimester and once every two weeks until 6 months postpartum
  • Behavioral: Home visit
    • Three home visits during third trimester and three during postpartum period until 6 months postpartum

Arms, Groups and Cohorts

  • Experimental: Social network building intervention
    • Healthy lifestyle intervention focused on building reciprocal social ties between the intervention group members
  • Active Comparator: Home visit
    • Home visits focused on preventable infant injuries

Clinical Trial Outcome Measures

Primary Measures

  • Weight (kg)
    • Time Frame: 6 times over 10 months
    • gestational weight gain and postpartum weight loss

Secondary Measures

  • Body composition
    • Time Frame: 3 times over 6 months
    • BIA postpartum
  • Infant feeding practices
    • Time Frame: 3 times over 6 months
    • duration of breastfeeding, use of supplemental fluids, overfeeding, timing of the introduction of solids
  • Social network structure
    • Time Frame: 6 times over 10 months
    • number and type of relationships
  • Waist Circumference
    • Time Frame: 3 times over 6 months
  • Depression
    • Time Frame: 6 times over 10 months
  • Nutrition
    • Time Frame: 6 times over 10 months
    • Fat/Fruit/Vegetable intake
  • Physical Activity
    • Time Frame: 6 times over 10 months
    • self-report

Participating in This Clinical Trial

Inclusion Criteria

  • Latina (self-defined, or born in Central or South America) – Spanish-speaking and/or English-speaking, – 18 years of age or older – less than 24 weeks pregnant – did or did not have a termination of a previous pregnancy before 20 weeks – has not carried a pregnancy to term – normal, overweight or obese (pre-pregnancy BMI >18.5 and <39) Exclusion Criteria:

  • non-Latina, – non-Spanish-speaking or non-English speaking – less than 18 years of age – more than 24 weeks pregnant – had a termination of a previous pregnancy after 20 weeks – multiparous – underweight (pre-pregnancy BMI < 18.5) – morbidly obese (pre-pregnancy BMI ≥ 39) – currently enrolled in another program that targets weight, physical activity, or nutrition

Gender Eligibility: Female

Minimum Age: 18 Years

Maximum Age: N/A

Are Healthy Volunteers Accepted: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Investigator Details

  • Lead Sponsor
    • Wake Forest University Health Sciences
  • Collaborator
    • American Heart Association
  • Provider of Information About this Clinical Study
    • Sponsor
  • Overall Official(s)
    • Sabina B Gesell, PhD, Principal Investigator, Wake Forest University Health Sciences

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