The development of an IT-based intervention to support a healthy postpartum lifestyle through behavioral change.

Background: Pregnancy and the postpartum period are difficult times with increased risks of weight gain and weight retention. This study aims to provide new insights into developing and designing information an communication technology interventions to support a healthy postpartum lifestyle through behavioral changes.Methods: A participatory design approach, combined with the behavior change wheel, was applied. The intervention was based on outcomes from co-creation with postpartum parents, healthcare professionals, IT consultants, and researchers.Results: An intervention was developed that reflects users' requests and needs to support a healthy postpartum lifestyle through behavioral change. The intervention includes podcasts, video exercises, weight tracking, and weekly push notifications.Conclusion: Developing an intervention to support a healthy postpartum lifestyle is feasible using both a participatory design and the behavior change wheel.

Barriers to a healthy postpartum lifestyle and the possibilities of an information technology-based intervention: A qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Being overweight or obese is associated with higher risk of adverse maternal and fetal outcomes, including gestational diabetes and childhood obesity. Many women exceed the gestational weight gain recommendations. Thus, it is important to focus on the women's lifestyle between their pregnancies to lower the risk of weight retention before the next pregnancy as well as in a life course perspective. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to explore barriers postpartum women experience with respect to a healthy lifestyle during the postpartum period, and to assess whether an IT-based intervention might be a supportive tool to assist and motivate postpartum women to healthy lifestyle. METHOD: A systematic text condensation was applied to semi-structured focus groups. Five focus group interviews were carried out with a total of 17 postpartum women and two interviews with a total of six health professionals. Participants were recruited through the municipality in Svendborg, Denmark, and at Odense University Hospital in Odense, Denmark, during a four-month period in early 2018. The results were analysed within the frame of the capability, opportunity, motivation and behaviour model (COM-B). RESULTS: From the women's perspective, better assistance is needed from the health professionals to obtain or maintain a healthy lifestyle. The women need tools that inform and help them understand and prioritize own health related risks, and to motivate them to plan and take care of their own health. There is room for engaging the partner more in the communication related to the baby and family's lifestyle. Lastly, the women already use audiobooks and podcasts to obtain information. CONCLUSION: Postpartum women need tools that inform and motivate for a healthy lifestyle postpartum. The tools should allow access to high quality information from health care professionals when the information is needed and also allow engagement from the partner. An IT-based intervention could be a way to support and motivate postpartum women for a healthy lifestyle.

Lifestyle interventions to maternal weight loss after birth: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Over the past decades, there has been an increase in overweight and obesity in women of childbearing age, as well as the general population. Overweight and obesity are related to a later, increased risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Increasing weight between pregnancies has a negative impact on the development of the fetus in a subsequent pregnancy. It is also related to long-term obesity and overweight for the woman. Accordingly, weight control in women of the childbearing age is important for both women and their offspring. Information and communication technology (ICT) has become an integrated part of many peoples' lives, and it has the potential to prevent disease. In this systematic review, we summarize the evidence from randomized controlled trials to compare effects of different ICT-based interventions to support postpartum women to achieve weight loss. METHODS: A systematic search was performed in PubMed, Embase, PsycInfo, CINAHL, Web of Science, Scopus, and Cochrane, searching on terms, such as postpartum, weight loss, telemedicine, and randomized controlled trials. Two independent researchers undertook study selection and data extraction. Results were reported narratively. The systematic review only included studies that were randomized controlled trials. RESULTS: Eight studies were included in the systematic review. All of them were characterized by applying one or more ICT components to assist postpartum women in weight control, and had weight loss as an outcome measure. A significant difference was found in weight loss between control group and intervention group in the majority of the studies. However, five of the studies had a relatively short follow-up period (40 days to 16 weeks), six of the studies had a relatively small sample size (18 to 66 women), and half of the studies indicated challenges with adherence to the interventions over time. CONCLUSION: ICT-based interventions can support postpartum women to achieve a healthy lifestyle and weight control. Future studies should focus on larger sample sizes, longer follow-up periods, and adherence to the interventions. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42018080731.