The Effect of Smart-Phone Interventional Messages on Gestational Weight Gain
Condition: Gestational Weight Gain
MeSH terms: Body Weight; Weight Gain; Gestational Weight Gain
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      Methods: The study is a randomized controlled experimental study. Groups were determined by
      stratified randomization according to the BMI of the pregnant women. In the study, individual
      identification form, Healthy Living Behaviors in Pregnancy Scale (HLBPS), and maternal
      questionnaire were used. The initiative program was carried out via WhatsApp messages on a
      smartphone. Messages regarding routine prenatal care were sent to the intervention group
      three times a week, and to the control group once a month, about appropriate weight gain,
      nutrition, and physical activity via WhatsApp.

      Results: The mean gestational weight gain was 13.1±4.3 in the intervention group and 14.6±4.2
      in the control group, and no significant difference was found between the groups. According
      to the IOM guideline, there was a significant difference between the groups in terms of
      appropriate GWG , while no significant difference was found between excessive GWG.HLBPS scale
      total score, nutrition and physical activity post-test mean scores increased significantly in
      the intervention group compared to the control group. In the intervention group, the
      group/time interaction in the scale total score, nutrition and physical activity scores of
      the pregnant women who gained appropriate weight according to the IOM guideline was
      significant, and the intervention was effective.Significant differences were found between
      the groups in the pretest-posttest score differences in the HLBPS total score, nutrition and
      physical activity sub-dimensions of the pregnant women.

      Conclusion: Healthy nutrition and physical activity short message intervention with a smart
      phone increased the appropriate gestational weight gain rates of pregnants in the
      intervention group according to the IOM guideline, and the intervention was effective.
      However, there was no difference between the groups in terms of excessive gestational weight
      gain. It is recommended to conduct studies with a high level of evidence, including internet
      and social media applications, with larger samples.
    

Detailed description: 
      Most of the descriptive characteristics of the intervention and control group pregnant women
      who participated in the study were homogenously distributed (p>0.05). A significant
      difference was found only between gestational week and place of residence (p<0.05).The mean
      total GWG of all pregnant women participating in the study was 13.9±4.3/kg. The mean
      difference between the intervention (13.1±4.3/kg) and control group (14.6±4.2/kg) pregnant
      women was 1.5 kg, but no significant difference was found between the groups (p>0.05). The
      rate of GWG within the limits of IOM guideline recommendations in the intervention group
      pregnant women (48.9%) was significantly higher than in the control group (22.2%) (p<0.05).
      Excessive GWG was found to be higher in the control group (68.9%) than in the intervention
      group (48.9%), but no significant difference was found (p>0.05).In the pre-intervention,
      pre-test data, pregnancy responsibility, nutrition and physical activity and HLBPS total
      scores were higher in the intervention group than in the control group (p<0.05). While no
      significant difference was found between the groups in the post-test scores of the pregnancy
      responsibility sub-dimension of the intervention/control group pregnant women (p>0.05), a
      statistically significant difference was found in both intervention (p<0.001) and control
      groups (p<0.001) in the in-group pre-post comparison. While there was a significant increase
      in the intra-group nutrition, physical activity sub-dimension and HLBPS total score of the
      intervention group pregnant women (p<0.001), no significant increase was observed in the
      control group (p>0.05). In the post-test comparison between groups, nutrition, physical
      activity sub-dimension score and HLBPS total score increased significantly in the
      intervention group compared to the control group (p<0.001). While the nutrition sub-dimension
      score of the intervention group was effective in appropriate GWG, it was not effective in the
      control group. Physical activity sub-dimension and HLBPS total score were effective in
      appropriate GWG in both intervention and control groups.
    

Intervention name(s): Activity of Whatsapp messages
Intervention type(s): Behavioral
Intervention description(s): Informative messages will be sent to the initiative group on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays for the first 10 weeks / three times a week (up to the 28th week), and reminder messages will be sent once a week on Wednesdays between the 29th-36th weeks.
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Crossover Assignment
Masking: Double (Participant, Outcomes Assessor)
Primary purpose: Prevention
Keywords: pregnancy; gestational weight gain; weight gain during pregnancy; healthy eating; physical exercise