A Participant Choice Approach to Improve Adherence and Investigate Pregnancy Outcomes to Lifestyle Interventions

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are exploring how giving pregnant individuals a choice among different nutrition and exercise programs affects their ability to stick to the program and maintain healthy pregnancy outcomes. The study focuses on preventing excessive gestational weight gain by comparing adherence to three lifestyle intervention strategies within the Nutrition and Exercise Lifestyle Intervention Program NELIP. This research uses a pseudo-randomized design to examine if choice improves participation compared to no choice in pregnant individuals between 12 and 18 weeks of pregnancy with a single fetus. Participants are divided into two groups one group chooses from three intervention strategies and the other group is matched to a choice participant and receives the same strategy without choice. The three strategies vary in timing of introducing nutrition and exercise components either both simultaneously starting at 12-18 weeks, or nutrition first followed by exercise at 25 weeks, or exercise first followed by nutrition at 25 weeks. The exercise involves a supervised walking program with gradually increasing duration, and nutrition is based on a modified gestational diabetic meal plan tailored per participant. The full program continues until delivery, with final intervention measures between 34 and 36 weeks gestation. Participants will be monitored weekly for adherence using a point system, with additional assessments of satisfaction and health outcomes like weight gain, birth measurements, and pregnancy complications. Follow-up visits occur at birth and at 2, 6, and 12 months postpartum to track maternal and infant health. The study collects detailed data on nutrition, exercise, and pregnancy progress to understand how choice impacts adherence and outcomes over this extended timeline.

A Nutrition and Exercise Lifestyle Intervention Program Participant Choice Approach