Effects of lifestyle intervention on dietary intake, physical activity level, and gestational weight gain in pregnant women with different pre-pregnancy Body Mass Index in a randomized control trial

Abstract

BackgroundThe objectives of this study were to assess the efficacy of lifestyle intervention on gestational weight gain in pregnant women with normal and above normal body mass index (BMI) in a randomized controlled trial.MethodsA total of 116 pregnant women (<20 weeks of pregnancy) without diabetes were enrolled and 113 pregnant women completed the program. Participants were randomized into intervention and control groups. Women in the intervention group received weekly trainer-led group exercise sessions, instructed home exercise for 3-5-times/week during 20-36 weeks of gestation, and dietary counseling twice during pregnancy. Participants in the control group did not receive the intervention. All participants completed a physical activity questionnaire and a 3-day food record at enrolment and 2 months after enrolment.ResultsThe participants in the intervention group with normal pre-pregnancy BMI (≤24.9 kg/M2, n = 30) had lower gestational weight gain (GWG), offspring birth weight and excessive gestational weight gain (EGWG) on pregnancy weight gain compared to the control group (n = 27, p < 0.05). Those weight related-changes were not detected between the intervention (n = 27) and control group (n = 29) in the above normal pre-pregnancy BMI participants. Intervention reduced total calorie, total fat, saturated fat and cholesterol intake were detected in women with normal or above normal pre-pregnancy BMI compared to the control group (p < 0.05 or 0.01). Increased physical activity and reduced carbohydrate intake were detected in women with normal (p < 0.05), but not above normal, pre-pregnancy BMI at 2 months after the onset of the intervention compared to the control group.ConclusionThe results of the present study demonstrated that the lifestyle intervention program decreased EGWG, GWG, offspring birth weight in pregnant women with normal, but not above normal, pre-pregnancy BMI, which was associated with increased physical activity and decreased carbohydrate intake.Trial registrationNCT00486629

What is the effect of regular group exercise on maternal psychological outcomes and common pregnancy complaints? An assessor blinded RCT

“…Mottola (2009) has suggested that interventions for pregnant women need to be behaviour-based because education programs increase knowledge, but do not change behaviour. This is consistent with Hui (Hui et al, 2014), showing that participating in a lifestyle intervention can increase physical activity level.…”

Prevention of Excessive Gestational Weight Gain by Nutrition Education Intervention: A Randomized Controlled Trial

“…Our finding was surprising because other previous significant results (4-6) are related to normal women. Hui et al's trial performed on different pre-pregnancy BMI could decrease excessive GWG in normal, but not in above-normal pregnant women (8).…”

“…Other studies could show gestational weight gain reduction in normalweight (8) and obese women (23,24) or could not show any change at all (8,(25)(26)(27). Only Asbee et al indicated a reduction in gestational weight in women with different BMIs including normal, overweight, and obese categories (28).…”

“…An excessive GWG is associated with post-partum weight retention, obesity, abnormalities in maternal prenatal glycemia, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, cardio-metabolic outcomes in women, and increased fetal growth and later childhood obesity in children (3). To our knowledge, five lifestyle interventions have been effective to prevent excessive GWG in low-income and normal-weight women (4)(5)(6)(7)(8). In these studies, the reported significant results were related to nutrition along with physical activity or other treatments that are intensive and cost bearing, while we need feasible and cost-effective interventions (9,10).…”

“…In these studies, the reported significant results were related to nutrition along with physical activity or other treatments that are intensive and cost bearing, while we need feasible and cost-effective interventions (9,10). On the other hand, pregnant mothers are concerned with the size of their babies, which has decreased with increased physical activity and decreased carbohydrate intake in some of the lifestyle trials (8). Therefore, we examined the Copyright © 2018, Author(s).…”