The impact of self-monitoring physical and mental health via an mHealth application on postpartum weight retention: Data from the INTER-ACT RCT

Femke Geusens; Hanne Van Uytsel; Lieveke Ameye; Roland Devlieger; Yves Jacquemyn; Caroline Van Holsbeke; Annick Bogaerts

doi:10.34172/hpp.42528

The impact of self-monitoring physical and mental health via an mHealth application on postpartum weight retention: Data from the INTER-ACT RCT

Health Promot Perspect. 2024 Mar 14;14(1):44-52. doi: 10.34172/hpp.42528. eCollection 2024 Mar.

Authors

Femke Geusens^{1

2}, Hanne Van Uytsel², Lieveke Ameye², Roland Devlieger^{2

3}, Yves Jacquemyn^{4

5

6}, Caroline Van Holsbeke⁷, Annick Bogaerts^{2

8}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
² REALIFE Research Group, Research Unit Woman and Child, Department of Development and Regeneration, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
³ Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
⁴ Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Antwerp University Hospital UZA, Edegem, Belgium.
⁵ Antwerp Surgical Training, Anatomy and Research Centre (ASTARC), Antwerp University, Antwerp, Belgium.
⁶ Global Health Institute, Antwerp University, Antwerp, Belgium.
⁷ Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ziekenhuis Oost-Limburg ZOL, Genk, Belgium.
⁸ Faculty of Health, University of Plymouth, Devon, UK.

Abstract

Background: Postpartum weight retention (PPWR) has many health risks. Digital self-monitoring of weight can potentially make postpartum weight management easier. We aim to test to what extent the self-monitoring of weight, steps and mental health through an mHealth application increases postpartum weight loss and reduces the odds of substantial PPWR (≥5 kg).

Methods: Participants were mothers in the intervention arm of the INTER-ACT multicenter randomized controlled trial (RCT), an inter-pregnancy lifestyle intervention among mothers with excessive gestational weight gain. Participants (n=288) had access to an mHealth application to log their weight, steps and mental health between 6 weeks and 6 months postpartum. A linear multiple regression model and a logistic regression model were run to test to what extent self-monitoring via the app increases postpartum weight loss and reduces the risk of substantial PPWR.

Results: Women who logged their weight more often lost more weight (B=0.03, β=0.26, CI_B =[0.01,0.05], P<0.01), and had reduced odds of substantive PPWR (OR=0.99, CI_OR =[0.98, 0.999], P<.05). Mental health logging reduced the odds of substantive PPWR (OR=0.98, CI_OR =[0.97, 1.00], P<0.05), but was unrelated to the amount of weight loss. Steps logging was unrelated to either weight loss or substantive PPWR.

Conclusion: Mothers with excessive gestational weight gain can benefit from app-based lifestyle interventions to reduce PPWR by self-monitoring their weight. More attention to mental health in PPWR interventions is needed.

Keywords: Gestational weight gain; Internet-based intervention; Obesity maternal; Psychosocial intervention; Telemedicine.

Grants and funding

Data collection was supported by Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek, Grant/Award Numbers: 1803311N, T005116N, 1803321N and Rotary Foundation, Limburg (Houthalen) Belgium. Further manuscript preparation was supported by the European Union under Femke Geusens’ MSCA postdoctoral fellowship (PACMUM - 101063659).