Randomized Controlled Trial

. 2025 Sep 30;22(1):119.

doi: 10.1186/s12966-025-01805-9.

LIFE-Moms: effects of multicomponent lifestyle randomized control trial on physical activity during pregnancy in women with overweight and obesity

Hannah E Cabre¹, Kimberly L Drews^{1

2}, Jeremy Pomeroy³, Sarah Kozey Keadle⁴, S Sonia Arteaga⁵, Paul W Franks^{6

7}, Debra Haire-Joshu⁸, William C Knowler⁹, Xavier Pi-Sunyer^{10

11}, Linda Van Horn¹², Rena R Wing^{4

13}, Alison G Cahill^{14

15}, Rebecca G Clifton², Kimberly A Couch¹⁶, Dympna Gallager^{10

11}, Jami L Josefson¹⁷, Kaumudi Joshipura^{18

19}, Samuel Klein¹⁵, Corby K Martin¹, Alan M Peaceman²⁰, Suzanne Phelan⁴, Elizabeth A Thom², Leanne M Redman²¹; LIFE-Moms Research Group

Collaborators, Affiliations

Collaborators

LIFE-Moms Research Group:
T A Hagobian, A Schaffner, C Hart, E K Yin, M G Phipps, B Abrams, T O Scholl, D A Savitz, K Munoz-Christian, E Jelalian, D Gallagher, B Rosenn, C Paley, S Gidwani, M Horowitz, J Crane, S Lin, J Thornton, M Holowaty, I Janumala, J Johnson, T Toro-Ramos, E Widen, W Yu, M Campos, M A Trak-Fellermeier, M Meléndez, C Palacios, J Pomeroy, I Febo, J Vergara, J Rivera, K Méndez, R Torres, S Soltero, L Ramos, V Rivera, W C Willett, M W Gillman, R Stein, A Mathur, W T Cade, M Kwasny, L Neff, N Gernhofer, E Vincent, V Vignolles, B Spring, K Elkind-Hirsh, J Breaux, D S Hsia, J H Burton, L E Cain, A A Altazan, E F Sutton, L A Gilmore, J M Curtis, D L Dunnigan, B A Grice, R L Hanson, M A Hoskin, K G Kavena, C Moffett, S Murphy, J A Nelson, R G Nelson, S Sangster, J R M Liao, L A Shovestull, S K Tanamas, R Williams, T Boekhoudt, M Evans, S Z Yanovski, D L Alekel, M Miodovnik

Affiliations

¹ Reproductive Endocrinology and Women's Health Research Program, Pennington Biomedical Research Center, 6400 Perkins Rd, Baton Rouge, LA, 70808, USA.
² The Biostatistics Center, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA.
³ Marshfield Clinic Research Institute, Marshfield, WI, USA.
⁴ Department of Kinesiology & Public Health, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA, USA.
⁵ ECHO, Office of the Director, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
⁶ Department of Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan Public Health School, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA.
⁷ Department of Clinical Sciences, Genetic and Molecular Epidemiology Unit, Lund University Diabetes Centre, Skåne University Hospital Malmö, Malmö, Sweden.
⁸ Center for Diabetes Translation Research, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA.
⁹ Diabetes Epidemiology and Clinical Research Section, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Phoenix, AZ, USA.
¹⁰ Department of Medicine, New York Obesity Research Center, College of Physicians and Surgeons,, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
¹¹ Institute of Human Nutrition, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
¹² Department of Preventive Medicine, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.
¹³ The Miriam Hospital and the Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Warren Alpert Medical School at Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.
¹⁴ Department of Women's Health, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA.
¹⁵ Center for Human Nutrition, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA.
¹⁶ Frontier Nursing University, Phoenix, AZ, USA.
¹⁷ Department of Pediatrics, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.
¹⁸ Bagchi School of Public Health, Ahmedabad University, Ahmedabad, India.
¹⁹ Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA.
²⁰ Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA.
²¹ Reproductive Endocrinology and Women's Health Research Program, Pennington Biomedical Research Center, 6400 Perkins Rd, Baton Rouge, LA, 70808, USA. leanne.redman@pbrc.edu.

PMID: 41029405
PMCID: PMC12486678
DOI: 10.1186/s12966-025-01805-9

Randomized Controlled Trial

LIFE-Moms: effects of multicomponent lifestyle randomized control trial on physical activity during pregnancy in women with overweight and obesity

Hannah E Cabre et al. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2025.

. 2025 Sep 30;22(1):119.

doi: 10.1186/s12966-025-01805-9.

Authors

Collaborators

LIFE-Moms Research Group:
T A Hagobian, A Schaffner, C Hart, E K Yin, M G Phipps, B Abrams, T O Scholl, D A Savitz, K Munoz-Christian, E Jelalian, D Gallagher, B Rosenn, C Paley, S Gidwani, M Horowitz, J Crane, S Lin, J Thornton, M Holowaty, I Janumala, J Johnson, T Toro-Ramos, E Widen, W Yu, M Campos, M A Trak-Fellermeier, M Meléndez, C Palacios, J Pomeroy, I Febo, J Vergara, J Rivera, K Méndez, R Torres, S Soltero, L Ramos, V Rivera, W C Willett, M W Gillman, R Stein, A Mathur, W T Cade, M Kwasny, L Neff, N Gernhofer, E Vincent, V Vignolles, B Spring, K Elkind-Hirsh, J Breaux, D S Hsia, J H Burton, L E Cain, A A Altazan, E F Sutton, L A Gilmore, J M Curtis, D L Dunnigan, B A Grice, R L Hanson, M A Hoskin, K G Kavena, C Moffett, S Murphy, J A Nelson, R G Nelson, S Sangster, J R M Liao, L A Shovestull, S K Tanamas, R Williams, T Boekhoudt, M Evans, S Z Yanovski, D L Alekel, M Miodovnik

Affiliations

¹ Reproductive Endocrinology and Women's Health Research Program, Pennington Biomedical Research Center, 6400 Perkins Rd, Baton Rouge, LA, 70808, USA.
² The Biostatistics Center, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA.
³ Marshfield Clinic Research Institute, Marshfield, WI, USA.
⁴ Department of Kinesiology & Public Health, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA, USA.
⁵ ECHO, Office of the Director, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
⁶ Department of Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan Public Health School, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA.
⁷ Department of Clinical Sciences, Genetic and Molecular Epidemiology Unit, Lund University Diabetes Centre, Skåne University Hospital Malmö, Malmö, Sweden.
⁸ Center for Diabetes Translation Research, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA.
⁹ Diabetes Epidemiology and Clinical Research Section, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Phoenix, AZ, USA.
¹⁰ Department of Medicine, New York Obesity Research Center, College of Physicians and Surgeons,, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
¹¹ Institute of Human Nutrition, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
¹² Department of Preventive Medicine, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.
¹³ The Miriam Hospital and the Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Warren Alpert Medical School at Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.
¹⁴ Department of Women's Health, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA.
¹⁵ Center for Human Nutrition, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA.
¹⁶ Frontier Nursing University, Phoenix, AZ, USA.
¹⁷ Department of Pediatrics, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.
¹⁸ Bagchi School of Public Health, Ahmedabad University, Ahmedabad, India.
¹⁹ Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA.
²⁰ Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA.
²¹ Reproductive Endocrinology and Women's Health Research Program, Pennington Biomedical Research Center, 6400 Perkins Rd, Baton Rouge, LA, 70808, USA. leanne.redman@pbrc.edu.

PMID: 41029405
PMCID: PMC12486678
DOI: 10.1186/s12966-025-01805-9

Abstract

Background: This report details the effect of LIFE-Mom's multicomponent lifestyle interventions on physical activity (PA) and inactivity time across pregnancy (2nd and 3rd trimesters) and their effect on gestational weight gain (GWG) and maternal/neonatal outcomes, a pre-specified secondary analysis.

Methods: Pregnant people with BMI ≥ 25 kg/m² were randomized to lifestyle interventions with dietary and PA counseling or standard care. PA and inactivity time measured by accelerometry and metabolic and inflammatory biomarkers measured in fasting blood are reported in 522 pregnant people at baseline and end of pregnancy. Generalized linear models with and without covariates were used to evaluate group differences (intervention vs. control) and, separately, time differences (total sample with both groups combined).

Results: Although there were statistically significant differences in vigorous activity between the intervention and control group (p = .024), there were no clinically meaningful differences in PA. In the combined sample, moderate to vigorous PA (MVPA) significantly decreased across pregnancy (mean ± SD: 72.9 ± 29.1 min/day vs 63.9 ± 28.1 min/day; p < 0.0001), and inactivity time increased [617.5 min/day (573.5, 659.6) vs 630.4 min/day (56.7, 679.9); p < 0.0001]. Increased inactivity time was associated with a less favorable maternal milieu (biomarker Z-scores) for pro-inflammatory (0.2 ± 0.1; p = 0.003) and cardiometabolic markers (0.1 ± 0.07; p = 0.030).

Conclusions: Physical activity declined over the course of pregnancy, though the intervention group experienced a smaller reduction in activity levels. Our results linked increased inactivity time to maternal metabolic dysregulation and inflammation. Further research is needed to determine if intensive interventions reducing inactivity can improve maternal health and weight outcomes in pregnant people with overweight and obesity.

Trial registration: NCT01545934, NCT01616147, NCT01771133, NCT01631747, NCT01768793, NCT01610752, and NCT01812694.

Keywords: Clinical trials; Gestational weight gain; Maternal health outcomes; Moderate to vigorous physical activity; Neonatal health outcomes.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: Institutional review boards for each site and the LIFE-Moms Data Safety Monitoring Board approved and monitored the studies and all studies were performed in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki. All study participants provided written and informed consent prior to participation. Consent for publication: This manuscript does not contain any details, images, or videos related to an induvial person. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

**Fig. 1**
A Change in total MVPA minutes (end of pregnancy- baseline) for the total sample. Tertile indicates participants who had the lowest total MVPA at the end of pregnancy (range: −16.4 to −106.5 min; n = 171) and Tertile 3 indicates participants who had the highest total MVPA at the end of pregnancy (range: −0.3 to 66.6; n = 174). B Change in inactivity time (end of pregnancy- baseline) for the total sample. Tertile 1 indicates participants who had the highest total inactivity time at the end of pregnancy (range: 46.8 to 250.7 min; n = 166) and Tertile 3 indicates participants who had the lowest inactivity time at the end of pregnancy (range: −6.5 to −180.7 min; n = 174)

See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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LIFE-Moms: effects of multicomponent lifestyle randomized control trial on physical activity during pregnancy in women with overweight and obesity

Collaborators

Affiliations

LIFE-Moms: effects of multicomponent lifestyle randomized control trial on physical activity during pregnancy in women with overweight and obesity

Authors

Collaborators

Affiliations

Abstract

Conflict of interest statement

Figures

References

Publication types

MeSH terms

Substances

Associated data

Grants and funding

LinkOut - more resources

Full Text Sources

Medical