NCT05394883

The SPROUT (Pilot) Project

The SPROUT (Pilot) Project: Starting Pregnancy With Robustness for Optimal Upward Trajectories

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 18 (actual)
• Sponsor: State University of New York - Upstate Medical University · Academic / Other
• Sex: Female
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

The purpose of this research is to study two different approaches to exercise during pregnancy that investigators believe will result in improved health for moms and babies. The investigators are trying to determine if the two types of exercise programs (supervised \& home exercise) result in health improvements for moms and babies. The investigators also want to see if the tests and questionnaires used in the study can detect changes in a mom's aerobic fitness, quality of life (QOL), fatigue, sleep quality, depression, and weight change throughout pregnancy and 6-months after birth.

Detailed description

Historically, pregnant women were advised to refrain from exercise due to concerns of maternal and fetal risk such as preterm delivery, low infant birth rate and fetal stress. Despite current research that has demonstrated substantial benefits for maternal, fetal, and infant health, only 9-15% of pregnant women meet the current physical activity recommendations. In addition, pregnancy exercise research is confounded by a lack of randomized controlled trials (RCT) that include diversity in participant demographics, specifically inner city populations, and difficulty accurately quantifying weekly exercise volume. The investigators propose a pilot RCT investigating two different approaches to exercise intervention across a spectrum of demographics that the investigators believe will result in improved exercise adherence as well as in maternal and infant health outcomes. Specific Aim #1: To determine the feasibility of two types of exercise interventions (supervised \& home exercise) in terms of design, implementation and adherence. Our working hypothesis is that both supervised and home exercise interventions will be implementable as designed in pregnant women as evidenced by recruitment, eligibility, retention, follow-up and exercise adherence from 1st trimester through 6-months post-natal at a 60% rate, but that adherence to the two types of exercise interventions will differ by demographic. A secondary exploratory hypothesis is that the investigators will be able to successfully recruit and retain 50% of our pregnant women from the Syracuse Community Health Center (primarily women with lower resources). Specific Aim #2: To determine the appropriateness of the outcome measures proposed for the exercise intervention in detecting changes in maternal aerobic fitness, quality of life (QOL), fatigue, sleep quality, depression, and weight change throughout pregnancy and 6-months post-natal as measured by the Balke Ware submaximal test; SF-12 Generic Quality of Life (QOL); Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI); Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQLI); Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D); Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS); and the Pregnancy Physical Activity Questionnaire (PPAQ). Our working hypothesis is that the above outcome measures will be able to detect changes in maternal outcome measures in both exercise groups. Because this is a feasibility study, the results will be used as preliminary data to apply for future funding and also will provide variable quantitative and qualitative data for validating interventions that can increase adherence to exercise guidelines during pregnancy in women with different ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds.

Conditions

• Pregnancy Related
• Infant Development
• Adherence, Treatment
• Activity, Motor

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Supervised Exercise	Women randomized to Supervised Exercise group will attend two to three exercise classes/week. Each session will consist of: 5-min flexibility warm-up and cool-down; 40 min of moderate intensity calculated as 40-59% Heart Rate Reserve (HRR) along with Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) between 13-14; and 20 minutes of resistance with an additional 30 minutes of unsupervised home aerobic activity per week. The women will be given their choice of aerobic equipment or walking either track/ treadmill to achieve a total of 40 minutes of moderate intensity exercise. The Supervised Exercise group will receive exercise counseling during their first meeting in addition to materials on the benefits of exercise, a log to record additional activity completed each week, goal setting, making time for exercise/making exercise a habit and exercise behavioral strategies.
BEHAVIORAL	Home Exercise	Women assigned to Home Exercise group will receive instructions for their home walking program including tips for walking indoors and outdoors, exercise handouts for warm-up/cool-down activities, demonstrations for resistance training activities and an exercise log. Women assigned to Home Exercise group will be contacted once per week to discuss their progress, barriers/challenges faced, ask questions, and strategies to achieve the exercise guidelines. The Home Exercise group will receive exercise counseling during their first meeting in addition to materials on the benefits of exercise, a log to record additional activity completed each week, goal setting, making time for exercise/making exercise a habit and exercise behavioral strategies.

Timeline

• Start date: 2020-10-04
• Primary completion: 2022-05-24
• Completion: 2022-06-08
• First posted: 2022-05-27
• Last updated: 2022-11-10

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States