Lifestyle interventions can facilitate healthy gestational weight gain but attending in-person meetings can be challenging. High rates of use and the popularity of pregnancy content suggests Instagram as a possible platform for delivering gestational weight gain interventions. We assessed the logistics and acceptability of creating a private Instagram group and to obtain feedback on intervention posts. We conducted a 2-week study with pregnant women with pre-pregnancy overweight or obesity who use Instagram daily. Participants created a private Instagram account and followed other participants and a moderator who shared twice-daily posts about physical activity and healthy eating during pregnancy. Participants provided feedback through a follow-up survey and focus group/interviews. Engagement data was abstracted from Instagram. Participants (N = 11) were on average 26.3 (SD: 7.4) weeks gestation and 54% had obesity pre-pregnancy. All participants followed the moderator's account, 73% followed all other participants, participants engaged with 100% of study posts, 82% felt comfortable sharing in the group, and 73% would participate in a similar group if pregnant in the future. While participants felt the posts were visually attractive and included helpful information, they wanted more personalized content and felt reluctant to post photos they felt were not "Instagram worthy." Moderators should foster an environment in which participants feel comfortable posting unedited, authentic photos of their lives, perhaps by sharing personal photos that are relatable and represent their own imperfect lives. Results will inform further development and testing of an Instagram-delivered gestational weight gain intervention.
Keywords: Healthy eating; Instagram; Intervention development; Physical activity; Pregnancy.
Lifestyle interventions can facilitate healthy gestational weight gain but attending in-person meetings can be challenging. The majority of young women use Instagram and pregnancy is a popular topic, suggesting that Instagram might be a means to deliver a pregnancy weight gain intervention. In this study, we asked pregnant women with pre-pregnancy overweight or obesity to join a private group on Instagram and provide feedback on intervention posts about healthy eating and physical activity during pregnancy. All participants followed the moderator’s account, 73% followed all other participants, participants engaged with 100% of study posts, 82% felt comfortable sharing in the group, and 73% would participate in a similar group if pregnant in the future. Participants shared their opinions of the posts in a focus group. While participants felt that the posts were visually attractive and included helpful information, they wanted more personalized content and felt reluctant to post photos they felt were not “Instagram worthy”. Moderators should foster an environment in which participants feel comfortable posting unedited, authentic photos of their lives, perhaps by sharing personal photos that are relatable and represent their own imperfect lives. These findings will inform further development and testing of an Instagram-delivered gestational weight gain intervention.
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