Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the effect of a lifestyle training package that consisted of a 60-to 90-min session of group training, educational booklet and text messages on physical activity and nutritional status in obese and overweight pregnant women. Methods: In this randomized controlled trial, 140 obese or overweight women (gestational age: 16-20 weeks) covered by health centres in Tehran, Iran, were equally randomized into two parallel groups using block randomization and stratified by the body mass index. Participants completed the Food Frequency Questionnaire and International Physical Activity Questionnaire at baseline and fourth and eighth weeks after intervention. Participants were 38 obese and 102 overweight women who were later followed-up.Results: After the intervention, the mean weekly intake of the vegetable and fruit subgroups was significantly higher; and intake of fats and oils and the confections subgroups were significantly lower in the intervention compared with the control group (p < 0.05). Although physical activity was higher in the intervention group, 8 weeks after the intervention, this difference was not statistically significant (p > 0.05). Conclusions:The training package appears to offer a suitable strategy for adjusting the intake of the recommended food subgroups in obese and overweight pregnant women.

Background: Obese and overweight females require proper programs for moderating and regulating their weight gain during pregnancy and preventing gestational diabetes. Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the effect of a lifestyle-based training package on weight gain and frequency of gestational diabetes in obese and overweight pregnant females. Methods: This randomized controlled trial was conducted on 140 obese and overweight pregnant females in Tehran, Iran. The training program administered to the intervention group consisted of a 60-to 90-minute session of group training using lectures, booklets, and text messages. A 2-hour 75 g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was performed to screen for gestational diabetes at 24 to 28 weeks of gestation, and gestational diabetes was diagnosed based on the obtained results. The weight increase was calculated 8 weeks after the intervention compared to the beginning of the study. Results: The test results of fasting blood sugar (FBS) and glucose tolerance test (GTT) showed 15 cases of gestational diabetes in the intervention group and 17 in the controls after the intervention, suggesting no statistically significant differences between the 2 groups (P = 0.687). Moreover, based on analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) and with adjusting the baseline values, the mean weight gain was found to be 3.4 kg in the intervention group and 3.8 kg in the control group, suggesting no statistically significant differences between the 2 groups after the intervention (P = 0.634). Conclusions: Although the frequency of gestational diabetes was found to be higher in the intervention group than in the controls, the difference was insignificant possibly due to use of a small sample size. Further studies are therefore recommended to be conducted using larger sample sizes.