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Title: Baseline characteristics of a pregnant, primarily African American cohort residing in the Mississippi Delta: delta healthy sprouts

Author
item Goodman, Melissa
item Thomson, Jessica
item TUSSING-HUMPHREYS, LISA - University Of Illinois

Submitted to: Experimental Biology
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/19/2014
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Inappropriate gestational weight gain (GWG) is associated with adverse maternal and infant outcomes and increased risk for childhood obesity. Interventions designed to optimize maternal GWG may be effective at improving the health of women and their infants. Delta Healthy Sprouts (DHS) is a randomized, controlled, comparative trial testing the efficacy of two Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting programs on weight status and health behaviors of mothers and their infants residing in the rural Mississippi Delta. We describe baseline demographic, psychosocial, diet, and physical activity (PA) characteristics of this cohort of women early in their 2nd trimester of pregnancy. The majority of participants are single (88%), African American (94%), and obese (56%), with no more than a high school education (53%), and a mean age of 23 (SD=5.3) years. Over one third (38%) screened for mild to major depression and 91% reported low PA. Mean baseline diet and PA related expectations, social support, and self-efficacy scores were moderately high, while attitude was low. Half (50%) of the participants were primarily responsible for the household food shopping, 35% for meal preparation; although 31% prepared meals at home less than 4 days/week. Results from DHS will determine if a novel, scalable lifestyle intervention can improve the health of women and their infants in this health disparate region.