title: A comparison of a social support physical activity intervention in weight management among post-partum Latinas.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Weight gain during the childbearing years and failure to lose pregnancy weight after birth contribute to the development of obesity in postpartum Latinas.
  
  
  METHODS
  Madres para la Salud [Mothers for Health] was a 12-month, randomized controlled trial exploring a social support intervention with moderate-intensity physical activity (PA) seeking to effect changes in body fat, fat tissue inflammation, and depression symptoms in sedentary postpartum Latinas. This report describes the efficacy of the Madres intervention.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results show that while social support increased during the active intervention delivery, it declined to pre-intervention levels by the end of the intervention. There were significant achievements in aerobic and total steps across the 12 months of the intervention, and declines in body adiposity assessed with bioelectric impedance.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Social support from family and friends mediated increases in aerobic PA resulting in decrease in percent body fat.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01908959.
authors.affiliation: Arizona State University, College of Nursing and Health Innovation, 500 N, 3rd Street; MC 3020, Phoenix, AZ 85004, USA. Colleen.Keller@asu.edu.
authors.forename: Colleen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Keller
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ainsworth
authors.forename: Kathryn
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Records
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Todd
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Belyea
authors.forename: Sonia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vega-López
authors.forename: Paska
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Permana
authors.forename: Dean
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Coonrod
authors.forename: Allison
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nagle-Williams
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health / Q000208:ethnology; D001835:Body Weight; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control; D003150:Community Health Workers / Q000458:organization & administration; D003376:Counseling / Q000379:methods; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D009765:Obesity / Q000208:ethnology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D049590:Postpartum Period / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology*; D012944:Social Support