title: An in-home intervention to improve nutrition, physical activity, and knowledge among low-income teen mothers and their children: results from a pilot study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Teenage pregnancy is a major public health concern in the United States. In addition to other life stressors, adolescent mothers and their children are at risk for obesity and other negative health outcomes. The current study examines the impact of a brief in-home educational intervention designed to improve health knowledge and behavior in a sample of low-income adolescent mothers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-six teen mothers received 6 in-home educational sessions focused on nutrition and physical activity, with baseline and follow-up knowledge and behavior assessments.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Results indicate significant improvements in mothers' health knowledge and physical activity pertaining to themselves and to their children, and also an unexpected increase in sedentary behaviors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results from this study indicate that knowledge-focused interventions may be an effective method to facilitate positive health behavioral change for teenage mothers.
authors.affiliation: *Department of Pediatrics, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS; †Center for Children's Healthy Lifestyles & Nutrition, Kansas City, MO; ‡Department of Psychiatry, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA; §Department of Nutrition, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS; ‖Clinical Child Psychology Program, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS; ¶Department of Behavioral Sciences, Children's Mercy Hospitals and Clinics, Kansas City, MO; **School of Nursing, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS; ††Department of Telemedicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS.
authors.forename: Ann M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.forename: Katherine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gallagher
authors.forename: Melissa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: Kimberly
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Canter
authors.forename: Meredith D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Gillette
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wambach
authors.forename: Eve-Lynn
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Nelson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011203:Poverty; D011247:Pregnancy; D011253:Pregnancy in Adolescence / Q000523:psychology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult