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Purpose: Investigate the associations between psychosocial factors and physical activity. Design: Secondary data analysis utilizing baseline data of a large-scale community-based randomized controlled lifestyle behavior intervention. Setting: The Special Supplemental Program for Women, Infants, and Children in Michigan, USA. Subjects: Low-income overweight or obese mothers with young children (N = 740, 65% response rate). Measures: Survey data were collected via phone interview. Predictors included self-efficacy, autonomous motivation, emotional coping, and social support. Self-reported leisure physical activity was the outcome variable. Covariates were age, race, smoking, employment, education, body mass index, and postpartum status. Analysis: A multiple linear regression model was applied. Results: Self-efficacy (β =.32, 95% CI =.11,.52, P =.003) and autonomous motivation (β =.10, 95% CI =.03,.17, P =.005) were positively associated with physical activity. However, emotional coping and social support were not associated with physical activity. Conclusion: Future research should examine the longitudinal association of key psychosocial factors with physical activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Little is known about associations between perceived stress, psychosocial factors (social support, emotional coping, coping self-efficacy, and autonomous motivation), and depressive symptoms in low-income overweight or obese mothers of young children. Using baseline data of a lifestyle intervention study, this secondary analysis investigates whether perceived stress might mediate the associations between the psychosocial factors and depressive symptoms.Methods: Convenience sampling was applied. Low-income overweight or obese mothers of young children were recruited from the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children in Michigan, US. Survey data were collected through phone interviews. Participants (N = 740) responded to valid surveys measuring perceived stress, social support, emotional coping, coping self-efficacy, autonomous motivation, and depressive symptoms. Composite indicator structural equation modeling was performed to test for potential mediation.Results: When investigating the potential role of perceived stress as a mediator, the indirect effects of social support (b = - 2.10, p < 0.01), emotion coping (b = - 3.81, p < 0.05), and coping self-efficacy (b = - 7.53, p < 0.01) on depressive symptoms through perceived stress were significant, but the indirect effect of autonomous motivation was not.Conclusion: Future intervention studies aiming to alleviate depressive symptoms in low-income overweight or obese mothers of young children might consider including practical strategies to promote social support, emotional coping, and coping self-efficacy to reduce perceived stress, which might potentially decrease depressive symptoms.Trial Registration: Clinical Trials NCT01839708 ; registered February 28, 2013. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To identify demographic risk factors associated with high stress and examine the relationships between levels of stress, demographics and dietary fat, fruit and vegetable intakes in low-income pregnant women with overweight or obesity.Design: A cross-sectional study.Setting: Participants were recruited from the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children in Michigan, USA.ParticipantsParticipants (n 353) were non-Hispanic Black (black) or White (white).Results: Women aged 35 years or older (OR=4·09; 95% CI 1·45, 11·51) and who had high school or less education (OR=1·88; 95% CI 1·22, 2·89) or were unemployed (OR=1·89; 95% CI 1·15, 3·12) were significantly more likely to report high stress than women who were younger, had at least some college education or were employed/homemakers. However, race and smoking status were not associated with level of stress. Women with high stress reported significantly lower fruit and vegetable intakes but not fat intake than women with low stress. Women aged 35 years or older reported significantly higher vegetable but not fat or fruit intake than women who were 18-24 years old. Black women reported significantly higher fat but not fruit or vegetable intake than white women. Education, employment and smoking status were not significantly associated with dietary intake of fat, fruits and vegetables.Conclusions: Nutrition counselling on reducing fat and increasing fruit and vegetable intakes may consider targeting women who are black or younger or who report high stress, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Mothers In Motion (MIM), a community-based lifestyle behavioral intervention, was designed and conducted to help low-income overweight and obese young mothers prevent further weight gain via promotion of stress management, healthy eating, and physical activity. This paper presents intervention effect on body weight (primary outcome) and summarizes lessons learned.Methods: Participants (N = 612) were recruited from 7 Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) offices in Michigan and were individually randomized to an intervention n= 410) or a comparison (n =202) group (2: 1 ratio). During the 16-week intervention, intervention participants watched theory-based culturally sensitive videos (in DVD format) featuring peers from the target audience to learn skills for managing stress, eating healthier, and being more physically active. They also dialed into peer support group teleconferences to enhance skills learned in the videos and increase motivation for lifestyle behavioral changes. Body weight, the primary outcome, was measured at baseline, immediately after the 16-week intervention, and 3 months after the 16-week intervention. Intervention effect was tested via general linear mixed model for repeated measures, using baseline measures as adjusting covariates.Results: At baseline, the mean age of the participants was 28.5 ± 5.0 years (intervention: 28.4 ± 5.0, comparison: 28.9 ± 5.0); the mean body weight was 190.2 ± 1.4 lbs (intervention: 191.8 ± 30.0, comparison: 188.5 ± 29.1); and the mean body mass index (BMI) was 32.2 ± 4.4 (intervention: 32.2 ± 4.4, comparison: 31.7 ± 4.2). Of sample, 64.7% were obese. At 3 months after the 16-week intervention, no significant weight differences were found between the intervention (188.3 ± 10.6 lbs, BMI: 31.6 ± 1.8) and comparison groups (187.7 ± 10.6 lbs, BMI: 31.53 ± 1.8) when controlling for baseline body weight.Conclusions: This lifestyle behavioral intervention that focused on stress management, healthy eating and physical activity was not effective in helping low-income overweight and obese young mothers prevent further weight gain.Trial Registration: Clinical Trials NCT01839708 . This trial was registered retrospectively on February 28, 2013. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective This study explored fast food intake as a potential mediator of the relationships among employment status; stress; depression; and fruit, vegetable, and fat intakes by race (African American vs. Non-Hispanic White) and body mass index (BMI category: overweight vs. obesity). Methods Low-income overweight and obese pregnant women (N = 332) were recruited from the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children in Michigan. Path analysis was performed to explore mediation effects by race and BMI category. Results Fast food intake mediated the relationship between employment status and fat intake ( p = 0.02) in Non-Hispanic White women, but no mediation effect was detected in African American women. For overweight women, fast food intake mediated the relationship between employment status and fat intake ( p = 0.04) and the relationship between depression and vegetable intake ( p = 0.01). Also, fast food intake partially mediated the relationship between depression and fat intake ( p = 0.003). For obese women, fast food intake mediated the relationship between employment status and fat intake ( p = 0.04). Conclusion Fast food is an important topic for nutrition education for overweight and obese pregnant women. Future interventions may be more successful if they address issues associated with employment status (e.g., lack of time to plan and cook healthy meals) and depressive mood (e.g., inability to plan meals or shop for groceries when coping with negative emotions). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the mediating roles of sleep and depression on the relationships between stress, fat intake, and fruit and vegetable intake among low-income overweight and obese pregnant women by trimesters. Participants (N = 213) completed a self-administered survey including stress (exogenous variable), depression, sleep (mediators), fat intake, and fruit and vegetable intake (endogenous variables). Path analysis was performed to compare mediation effects among pregnant women in each trimester. Consistently across three trimesters, stress was related to depression but not sleep duration, night time sleep disturbance, sleep quality, sleep latency or fat intake. Sleep duration was not associated with depression. Depending on trimester, night time sleep disturbance, sleep quality, and sleep latency were related to depression; night time sleep disturbance and depression affected fat intake; stress influenced fruit and vegetable intake. Sleep duration, sleep disturbance, sleep quality, sleep latency and depression did not mediate the relationships between stress, fat intake, and fruit and vegetable intake in the second and third trimesters. However, depression mediated the relationship between stress and fat intake in the first trimester. Stress management interventions may help low-income overweight and obese pregnant women decrease depressive symptoms and therefore contribute to overall nutritional health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was conducted to identify factors that influenced stress, healthy eating and physical activity among low-income overweight or obese pregnant women. We conducted seven focus groups with 96 low-income overweight and obese pregnant women. Common themes were identified from audio tapes and transcripts. Women said that poor communication affected their relationships with spouses or significant others. They were frustrated or upset with significant others for three key reasons: failure to understand or listen to the pregnant women's pregnancy concerns, refusal to be helpful when asked and being overly concerned with the woman's safety. Most women said that they were emotional and took naps throughout the day after becoming pregnant. Many withdrew from their social interactions. They also faced numerous challenges that made healthy eating more difficult, e.g., craving for unhealthy foods and eating foods for comfort. To eat healthier, some reminded themselves to avoid overeating or stop eating in the car. Women were not physically active because of tiredness, lack of motivation, inadequate social support, or bad weather. Some stayed physically active to prevent excessive pregnancy weight gain and have an easier labor. Women equivocally said weighing themselves to manage weight would add to their stress and make them feel more depressed. When designing interventions to help low-income overweight and obese pregnant women avoid excessive pregnancy weight gain, it is important to include information and practical advice on stress management, emphasizing effective communication skills with significant others and helping them plan effective ways to manage negative feelings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: We conducted secondary data analyses to examine the associations between sleep duration, sleep quality, sleep disturbance and ≥ 5% of weight loss in low-income overweight or obese postpartum women enrolled in a community-based lifestyle behavior intervention study aimed at prevention of weight gain. Methods: Participants were recruited from the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children in Michigan. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index was used to assess sleep duration, sleep quality, and sleep disturbance. All participants were assessed and weighed at baseline (T1, 569 participants), 4-month (T2, 367 participants), and 7-month from T1 (T3, 332 participants). Descriptive statistics and mixed-effects regression analysis were performed. Results: Participants reported longer sleep duration (p = 0.048), better sleep quality (p = 0.003) and less sleep disturbance (p < 0.001) over time. There were no significant mean body weight changes at T2 and T3. However, a significantly higher proportion of women lost ≥5% of body weight at T3 (23.1%) than T2 (12.5%, p = 0.001). Sleep duration, quality, and disturbance were not significantly associated with ≥5% of weight loss. Conclusion: Improvements in sleep duration, sleep quality and sleep disturbance over time were not associated with ≥5% of weight loss in low-income overweight or obese postpartum women. Trial registration: Clinical Trials NCT01839708; retrospectively registered February 28, 2013. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Mothers in Motion (MIM), a community-based intervention program, was designed to help young, low-income women with overweight or obesity prevent further weight gain by promoting stress management, healthy eating, and physical activity. This paper presents the MIM's intervention effect on self-efficacy to cope with stress, emotional coping response, social support for stress management, stress, depressive symptoms, and positive and negative affect.Methods: Participants (N = 612) were recruited from the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children in Michigan. They were randomly assigned to an intervention group (410 participants) or comparison group (202 participants). During the 16-week intervention, intervention participants watched ten video lessons at home and joined ten peer support group teleconferences. Surveys with established validity and reliability were used to measure self-efficacy to cope with stress, emotional coping response, and social support for stress management. The Perceived Stress Scale, Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, and Positive and Negative Affect Scale were used to measure stress, depressive symptoms, and positive and negative affect, respectively. A general linear mixed model was applied to test the intervention effect at the end of the 16-week intervention (T2, n = 338) and at three-month follow-up (T3, n = 311).Results: At T2, the intervention group reported significantly higher self-efficacy to cope with stress (effect size [Cohen's d] = 0.53), better emotional coping response (d = 0.38), less stress (d = 0.34), fewer depressive symptoms (d = - 0.27), and more positive affect (d = 0.31) than the comparison group. However, there were no significant differences in social support for stress management and negative affect between these two groups. At T3, the intervention group still reported significantly higher self-efficacy to cope with stress (d = 0.32) and better emotional coping response (d = 0.34) than the comparison group but did not report significantly higher social support for stress management, stress, depressive symptoms, and positive and negative affect.Conclusions: To help young, low-income women with overweight or obesity manage stress, researchers and program planners may consider focusing on building self-efficacy to cope with stress.Trial Registration: Clinical Trials NCT01839708 ; registered February 28, 2013. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]