title: Weight-related SMS texts promoting appropriate pregnancy weight gain: a pilot study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Excessive gestational weight gain (GWG) puts women and children at risk of obesity. We piloted an SMS-texting intervention to promote healthy GWG among overweight and obese women.
  
  
  METHODS
  We recruited 35 women and randomized them in a 2:1 fashion to: a tailored SMS-texting intervention (Preg CHAT) vs. a generic texting intervention (Txt4baby). Preg CHAT texts provided personalized feedback based on women's intake of sweetened beverages, fruits and vegetables, fast food, daily steps taken, and weight. We abstracted women's weights from charts and surveyed women at baseline and 32 weeks gestation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Few women refused the study; many (30%) did not complete the study, however. Of those in the Preg CHAT arm, 86% responded to texts, and 80% said they would recommend this program to a friend. For women who completed the surveys (n=23), those in the Preg CHAT arm had a mean gain of 6 less pounds than women in the Txt4Baby arm (95% CI -15.9, 4.0; p=0.24).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This pilot study shows feasibility, acceptability, and potential efficacy of a low-intensity and disseminable intervention to help overweight and obese women reduce GWG.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  An SMS texting program might help overweight women reduce excessive GWG.
authors.affiliation: Cancer Control and Populations Sciences, Duke Cancer Institute, Durham, USA; Department of Community and Family Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, USA. Electronic address: kathryn.pollak@duke.edu.
authors.forename: Kathryn I
authors.initials: KI
authors.lastname: Pollak
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, USA; Health Services Research and Development Service, Durham VA Medical Center, Durham, USA.
authors.forename: Stewart C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Alexander
authors.affiliation: Cancer Control and Populations Sciences, Duke Cancer Institute, Durham, USA; Department of Psychology & Neuroscience and Duke Obesity Prevention Program, Duke University, Durham, USA.
authors.forename: Gary
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bennett
authors.affiliation: Cancer Control and Populations Sciences, Duke Cancer Institute, Durham, USA.
authors.forename: Pauline
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lyna
authors.affiliation: Health Services Research and Development Service, Durham VA Medical Center, Durham, USA; Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, USA.
authors.forename: Cynthia J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Coffman
authors.affiliation: Cancer Control and Populations Sciences, Duke Cancer Institute, Durham, USA.
authors.forename: Alicia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bilheimer
authors.affiliation: People Designs, Durham, USA.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Farrell
authors.affiliation: Cancer Control and Populations Sciences, Duke Cancer Institute, Durham, USA; School of Human Kinetics, Trinity Western University, Langley, USA.
authors.forename: Michael E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Bodner
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, USA.
authors.forename: Geeta K
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Swamy
authors.affiliation: Cancer Control and Populations Sciences, Duke Cancer Institute, Durham, USA; Department of Community and Family Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, USA.
authors.forename: Truls
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Østbye
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009765:Obesity / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D060145:Text Messaging; D015430:Weight Gain
keywords: Pregnancy; Texting; Weight gain