Amanda P Moore1, Maria I D'Amico2, Natalie A M Cooper3, Shakila Thangaratinam4. 1. The Diabetes and Nutritional Sciences Division, Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, King's College London, UK. 2. Women's Health Research Unit, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University London, London, UK. Electronic address: m.damico@qmul.ac.uk. 3. Women's Health Research Unit, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University London, London, UK. 4. Women's Health Research Unit, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University London, London, UK; Multidisciplinary Evidence Synthesis Hub (mEsh), Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University London, London, UK.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to identify what components of a postpartum lifestyle intervention would engage postpartum mothers who had a diagnosis of gestational diabetes. STUDY DESIGN: Two online surveys were conducted, one involving postnatal mothers with GDM (n=83), and a second for health professionals (n=46). RESULTS: Seventy-eight percent of mothers were aware that healthy eating, exercise and weight management were all important to reduce risk of subsequent type 2 diabetes. However, 80% of women in this survey were not ready to engage in a postpartum lifestyle intervention within the first 6 months of giving birth; in contrast 52% of health professionals recommended they should be engaged in the first six weeks. Group sessions were the most commonly chosen format to deliver an intervention (30%). A community setting was preferred to a medical one. Mothers wanted recipe ideas (95%) in preference to general dietary advice (76%) or cooking skills courses (39%). Walking was the main form of exercise for 79% of mothers in this sample. Women highlighted difficulty in focusing on their own health goals because of competing demands of looking after a baby (41% agreed, Median 3, IQR 2), tiredness (65% agreed, Md 4, IQR 1) and the need for childcare (64% agreed, Md 4, IQR 2). CONCLUSION: A walking programme, recipe ideas and weight monitoring may be useful components when designing a postpartum lifestyle intervention. Barriers to engagement are evident and the intervention should allow women to engage at a time that is appropriate for them.
OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to identify what components of a postpartum lifestyle intervention would engage postpartum mothers who had a diagnosis of gestational diabetes. STUDY DESIGN: Two online surveys were conducted, one involving postnatal mothers with GDM (n=83), and a second for health professionals (n=46). RESULTS: Seventy-eight percent of mothers were aware that healthy eating, exercise and weight management were all important to reduce risk of subsequent type 2 diabetes. However, 80% of women in this survey were not ready to engage in a postpartum lifestyle intervention within the first 6 months of giving birth; in contrast 52% of health professionals recommended they should be engaged in the first six weeks. Group sessions were the most commonly chosen format to deliver an intervention (30%). A community setting was preferred to a medical one. Mothers wanted recipe ideas (95%) in preference to general dietary advice (76%) or cooking skills courses (39%). Walking was the main form of exercise for 79% of mothers in this sample. Women highlighted difficulty in focusing on their own health goals because of competing demands of looking after a baby (41% agreed, Median 3, IQR 2), tiredness (65% agreed, Md 4, IQR 1) and the need for childcare (64% agreed, Md 4, IQR 2). CONCLUSION: A walking programme, recipe ideas and weight monitoring may be useful components when designing a postpartum lifestyle intervention. Barriers to engagement are evident and the intervention should allow women to engage at a time that is appropriate for them.
Authors: Chiamaka Esther Amaefule; Angeliki Bolou; Zoe Drymoussi; Francisco Jose Gonzalez Carreras; Maria Del Carmen Pardo Llorente; Doris Lanz; Julie Dodds; Lorna Sweeney; Elena Pizzo; Maria D'Amico; Amy Thomas; James Heighway; Jahnavi Daru; Soha Sobhy; John Robson; Anita Sanghi; Javier Zamora; Angela Harden; Graham Hitman; Khalid Khan; Teresa Pérez; Mohammed Sb Huda; Shakila Thangaratinam Journal: BMJ Open Date: 2020-05-17 Impact factor: 2.692