Applying the behaviour change wheel to develop a smartphone application 'stay-active' to increase physical activity in women with gestational diabetes.

BACKGROUND: Physical activity (PA) interventions are an important but underutilised component in the management of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). The challenge remains how to deliver cost effective PA interventions that have impact on individual behaviour. Digital technologies can support and promote PA remotely at scale. We describe the development of a behaviourally informed smartphone application (Stay-Active) for women attending an NHS GDM clinic. Stay-Active will support an existing motivational interviewing intervention to increase and maintain PA in this population. METHODS: The behaviour change wheel (BCW) eight step theoretical approach was used to design the application. It provided a systematic approach to understanding the target behaviour, identifying relevant intervention functions, and specifying intervention content. The target behaviour was to increase and maintain PA. To obtain a behavioural diagnosis, qualitative evidence was combined with focus groups on the barriers and facilitators to PA in women with GDM. The findings were mapped onto the Capability Opportunity Motivation-Behaviour (COM-B) model and Theoretical Domains Framework to identify what needs to change for the target behaviour and linked to appropriate intervention functions. Finally, behaviour changes techniques (BCT) and modes of delivery that are most likely to serve the intervention functions were selected. Current evidence, patient focus groups and input from key stakeholders informed Stay-Active's development. RESULTS: We found that psychological capability, reflective and automatic motivation, social and physical opportunity needed to change to increase PA in women with GDM. The four key intervention functions identified were Enablement, Education, Persuasion and Training. Stay-Active incorporates these four intervention functions delivering ten BCTs including: goal setting, credible source, self-monitoring, action planning, prompts and cues. The final design of Stay-Active delivers these BCTs via an educational resource centre, with goal setting and action planning features, personalised performance feedback and individualised promotional messages. CONCLUSION: The BCW has enabled the systematic and comprehensive development of Stay-Active to promote PA in women with GDM within an NHS Maternity service. The next phase is to conduct a trial to assess the feasibility and acceptability of a multi-component intervention that combines Stay-Active with PA Motivational Interviewing.

Oxfordshire Women and Their Children's Health (OxWATCH): protocol for a prospective cohort feasibility study.

INTRODUCTION: Some specific pregnancy disorders are known to be associated with increased incidence of long-term maternal ill health (eg, gestational diabetes with late onset type 2 diabetes; pre-eclampsia with arterial disease). To what degree these later health conditions are a consequence of the woman's constitution prior to pregnancy rather than pregnancy itself triggering changes in a woman's health is unknown. Additionally, there is little prospective evidence for the impact of pre-pregnancy risk factors on the outcome of pregnancy. To understand the importance of pre-pregnancy health requires the recruitment of women into a long-term cohort study before their first successful pregnancy. The aim of this feasibility study is to test recruitment procedures and acceptability of participation to inform the planning of a future large-scale cohort study. METHODS: The prospective cohort feasibility study will recruit nulliparous women aged 18-40 years. Women will be asked to complete a questionnaire to assess the acceptability of our recruitment and data collection procedures. Baseline biophysical, genetic, socioeconomic, behavioural and psychological assessments will be conducted and samples of blood, urine, saliva and DNA will be collected. Recruitment feasibility and retention rates will be assessed. Women who become pregnant will be recalled for pregnancy and postpregnancy assessments. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The study protocol was approved by South Central Portsmouth REC (Ref: 12/SC/0492). The findings from the study will be disseminated through peer reviewed journals, national and international conference presentations and public events. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov; NCT02419898.

PP032. Unique features of long-term cardiovascular phenotype in young women with early-onset pre-eclampsia.

INTRODUCTION: Early-onset preeclampsia is associated with a greater risk of cardiovascular disease than late-onset preeclampsia. OBJECTIVES: We tested the hypothesis that young women, with previous early-onset preeclampsia, have unique differences in long term cardiovascular phenotype compared to late-onset preeclampsia or normal pregnancy. METHODS: 140 women (mean age 40 yrs) were followed up 6-13years following pregnancy. 90 had had preeclampsia (45 early onset (before 34 weeks of gestation), 45 late onset) and 50 had normotensive uncomplicated pregnancies. Women with cardiovascular risk factors present before pregnancy were excluded. Fasting lipids, glucose, insulin and circulating cytokines were measured. Central blood pressure (BP) and arterial stiffness (pulse wave velocity (PWV)/augmentation index (AI)) were assessed by applanation tonometry, common carotid intima media thickness (cIMT) by ultrasound and cutaneous capillary density by intravital microscopy. 46 women returned for assessment of cardiac structure and function by magnetic resonance and echocardiography as well as ambulatory blood pressure monitoring. RESULTS: All women with a previous history of preeclampsia had 5-10mmHg higher peripheral and central BP (P<0.001) as well as elevated total: HDL cholesterol (P<0.003), insulin resistance (P<0.04) and circulating TNFα (P<0.007). They also had increased arterial stiffness (P<0.04) and cIMT (P<0.005). Cardiac size and systolic function were preserved but there was evidence of abnormal diastolic relaxation (E/E' -P<0.04). In contrast early-onset preeclampsia was associated with characteristic differences in peri-pregnancy blood pressure, long term ambulatory measures and microvascular function. CONCLUSION: Early onset preeclampsia is associated with unique features in long term cardiovascular phenotype. Pregnancy disease characteristics may identify women at greatest potential benefit from monitoring and primary prevention.