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

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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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.

Detailed Description
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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.

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

Conditions
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Obesity

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: Social network building intervention
* Behavioral: Home visit


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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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

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 18 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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Female

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Prevention
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Social network building intervention<br>Healthy lifestyle intervention focused on building reciprocal social ties between the intervention group members | Behavioral: Social network building intervention<br>* Group support and health education sessions weekly during third trimester and once every two weeks until 6 months postpartum<br>|
| Active Comparator: Home visit<br>Home visits focused on preventable infant injuries | Behavioral: Home visit<br>* Three home visits during third trimester and three during postpartum period until 6 months postpartum<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weight (kg) | gestational weight gain and postpartum weight loss | 6 times over 10 months | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

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

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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gestational weight gain, postpartum weight loss, breastfeeding, overfeeding