Use of healthy conversation skills to promote healthy diets, physical activity and gestational weight gain: Results from a pilot randomised controlled trial

Abstract

Objectives: This study evaluated the use of Healthy Conversation Skills (a client-centered communication approach to behaviour change) in supporting women to achieve optimal gestational-weight-gain and health behaviours.

Methods: Seventy pregnant women were randomised to the control or intervention group. Study visits and phone calls were delivered by Registered Dietitians (RDs) to women in the intervention and control groups. The intervention RD was trained in Healthy Conversation Skills while the control RD was not. Diet, physical activity and gestational-weight-gain were assessed at baseline and again at follow-up in the intervention and control groups.

Results: Women in the intervention group improved their diet score between baseline and visit 2, while the control group did not. At 34 weeks, women in the control group reported being sedentary for longer than women in the intervention group. There were no differences in total gestational-weight-gain between the groups.

Conclusions: Pregnant women who interacted with an RD using Healthy Conversation Skills reported positive outcomes in health behaviours.

Practice implications: Healthy Conversation Skills shows promise as an approach to initiate, and maintain discussions promoting health behaviour change in pregnancy.

Keywords: Gestational weight gain; Healthy conversation skills; Pregnancy; Randomised controlled trial.