A Postpartum Community-Based Weight Management Intervention Designed for Low-Income Women: Feasibility and Initial Efficacy Testing

Abstract

Postpartum weight retention increases a woman's risk of entering subsequent pregnancies overweight or obese, and women who are overweight or obese in pregnancy face higher rates of complications for themselves and their infants. This study assessed the feasibility, acceptability, and initial efficacy of an intervention to prevent postpartum weight retention in predominantly low-income African-American women. A randomized control pilot study was conducted to test the effects of the intervention on weight, adiposity, health behaviors, and eating and exercise self-efficacy from baseline (Time 1) to study completion (Time 2). The women in the experimental group had significantly greater decreases in triceps skinfolds (p = 0.01) and subscapular skinfolds (p = 0.04) and had significantly greater nutrition knowledge (p =0.04) than the control group. The results indicate that women randomized to a postpartum weight management program significantly decreased adiposity, increased nutrition knowledge and action, and, in addition, the women found the intervention acceptable.