The impact of a randomized controlled trial of a lifestyle intervention on postpartum physical activity among at-risk hispanic women: Estudio PARTO

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 15; no. 7; p. e0236408
• Main Authors: Burkart, Sarah, Marcus, Bess H, Pekow, Penelope, Rosal, Milagros C, Manson, JoAnn E, Braun, Barry, Chasan-Taber, Lisa, Barengo, Noël C
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: San Francisco Public Library of Science 24.07.2020; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Bilingualism; Clinical trials; Diabetes; Diabetes mellitus; Engineering and Technology; Epidemiology; Exercise; Gestational diabetes; Glucose; Health aspects; Health sciences; Hispanic Americans; Intervention; Latin Americans; Lifestyles; Medicine and Health Sciences; People and Places; Physical activity; Physical fitness; Postpartum; Pregnancy; Pregnant women; Public health; Questionnaires; Randomization; Sedentary behavior; Wellness; Womens health; United States; United States > US; Colorado; Massachusetts
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0236408

To assess the impact of a culturally modified, motivationally targeted, individually-tailored intervention on postpartum physical activity (PA) and PA self-efficacy among Hispanic women. Estudio PARTO was a randomized controlled trial conducted in Western Massachusetts from 2013-17. Hispanic women who screened positive for gestational diabetes mellitus were randomized to a Lifestyle Intervention (LI, n = 100) or to a comparison Health and Wellness (HW, n = 104) group during late pregnancy. Exercise goals in LI were to meet American College of Obstetrician & Gynecologists guidelines for postpartum PA. The Pregnancy Physical Activity Questionnaire (PPAQ) and the Self-Efficacy for Physical Activity Questionnaire were administered at 6 weeks, 6 months, and 1 year postpartum. Compared to baseline levels, both groups had significant increases in moderate-to-vigorous PA at 6 months and one year postpartum (i.e., LI: mean change = 30.9 MET-hrs/wk, p = 0.05; HW: 27.6 MET-hrs/wk, p = 0.01), with only LI group experiencing significant increases in vigorous PA (mean change = 1.3 MET-hrs/wk, p = 0.03). Based on an intent-to-treat analysis using mixed effects models, we observed no differences in pattern of change in PA intensity and type over time between intervention groups (all p > 0.10). However, there was the suggestion of a greater decrease in sedentary activity in the LI group compared to the HW group ([beta] = -3.56, p = 0.09). In this randomized trial among high-risk Hispanic women, both groups benefitted from participation in a postpartum intervention.