27 Clinical Trials for Various Conditions
Alive \& Thrive (A\&T) is an initiative that supports the scaling up of nutrition interventions to save lives, prevent illnesses, and contribute to healthy growth and development through improved maternal nutrition, breastfeeding and complementary feeding practices. In Burkina Faso, A\&T developed an intensive package of maternal nutrition interventions to be integrated into existing ANC services delivered through government health facilities that align with the latest global evidence. These included intensified counseling and support on dietary diversity and quality during pregnancy, iron-folic acid (IFA) supplements consumption, importance of ANC and increasing the number of visits, adequate weight-gain monitoring, and early initiation of and exclusive breastfeeding. The evaluation used a two-arm cluster-randomized, non-masked trial design, consisting of two cross-sectional surveys of pregnant and recently delivered women (i.e. with a child under 6 months of age) in 2019 and 2021.
Alive \& Thrive (A\&T) is an initiative that supports the scaling up of nutrition interventions to save lives, prevent illnesses, and contribute to healthy growth and development through improved maternal nutrition, breastfeeding and complementary feeding practices. In Ethiopia, A\&T integrated a package of maternal nutrition interventions into existing antenatal care (ANC) services delivered through government health facilities (counselling on diet quality during pregnancy, distribution and promotion of iron-folic acid (IFA) supplementation, weight gain monitoring, counselling on early breastfeeding practices, and systems strengthening through training and supportive supervision) and community platforms (home visits, Pregnant Women Conferences/Mother Support groups, and community gatherings). The evaluation used a two-arm cluster-randomized, non-masked trial design, consisting of two cross-sectional surveys in 2019 and 2021.
Maternal nutrition has been a long-standing concern of health authorities globally and in India. Despite the availability of proven, affordable interventions, and progressive policies and program platforms such as Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (MNCH) services, a streamlined package of proven maternal nutrition services is not reaching the majority of women during pregnancy. Alive \& Thrive India aims to test the feasibility of integrating a package of maternal nutrition interventions in routine Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (RMNCH) services.These include provision of IFA and calcium supplements, interpersonal counseling on diet during pregnancy and consumption of IFA and calcium, community mobilization, and adequate weight-gain monitoring during pregnancy. This proposed evaluation aims to assess the feasibility of integrating maternal nutrition interventions into an existing RMNCH services in India, using a cluster-randomized evaluation design, complemented with a nested cohort study.
Inadequate maternal nutrition is likely to undermine the potential impact of infant and young child feeding (IYCF) improvements made in the Alive \& Thrive (A\&T) first phase because it is linked to poor fetal growth leading to small-for-gestational age and pre-term newborns. These babies do not respond to growth promoting feeding practices as well as normal newborns do. In Phase 2, Alive \& Thrive decided to focus on integrating a package of maternal nutrition interventions in a large-scale maternal, newborn and child health program (MNCH). This proposed evaluation aims to assess the feasibility of integrating maternal nutrition interventions into an existing MNCH platform in Bangladesh, using a cluster-randomized evaluation design.
Progress on child growth outcomes such as stunting requires both direct and indirect actions across multiple sectors. Recognizing the importance of multisector approaches in reducing child undernutrition, Alive \& Thrive (A\&T) India aims to improve the quality of health and nutrition services, as well as their convergence at the household level with other available nutrition-sensitive services, in order to improve MIYCN behaviors, and ultimately decrease malnutrition in Gujarat. In line with government priorities, A\&T designed a suite of system strengthening interventions including capacity building, supportive supervision, strategic use of data, improved food supplementation and engagement with local governance to improve the quality and co-coverage of nutrition-relevant services in three districts in Gujarat. This proposed evaluation aims to assess the feasibility of integrating multi-sectoral interventions using a cluster-randomized design with cross-sectional baseline and endline surveys.
The research proposal will be an 8-week randomized control trial (RCT) to examine the efficacy of an eHealth intervention, namely Healthy Parental Online Education (HOPE), on fruit and vegetable intake and active playtime among toddlers enrolled in early head start programs in Lubbock, Texas. Parents with toddlers ages one to three years will be recruited from Early Head Start centers. Written consent forms will be obtained before baseline data collection. The participants will be then randomly assigned to the intervention or control group. The participants in the intervention group will receive a multi-component online nutrition intervention for eight weeks. While the control group will receive a copy of the booklet that includes the 2020 U.S. Department of Agriculture Dietary Guidelines (USDA) for toddlers and adults. The investigators will measure sociodemographic, parental nutritional knowledge, parental attitude related to healthy eating, parental self-efficacy, parental feeding practices, carotenoids in the skin of both parents and toddlers, three-day food photos, and physical activity and sedentary times of toddlers. This research proposal hypothesizes that there will be significant differences in fruit and vegetable intake and physically active time among toddlers between the intervention and control group from baseline to 3 months. The investigators also hypothesize that there will be significant differences in parental nutrition knowledge, attitude, self-efficacy, and feeding practice between the intervention and control group from baseline to 3 months.
Purpose of this study is to learn more about how nutritional advice given during pregnancy affects a mother's food choices and her baby's growth.
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of access to nutrition services on pregnancy outcomes in the obese urban population. There are many studies that have shown that obesity has a negative impact on pregnancy. However, currently there are only a few small studies that specifically look at ease of access to nutrition services in an obese urban population and the effect this has on maternal weight gain and pregnancy outcomes. This study will compare two groups of pregnant women with a BMI of 30 or greater. The investigators hypothesize that access to nutritional services will lead to decreased weight gain during pregnancy and improved pregnancy outcomes.
Food insecurity affects up to 30% of pregnancies and leads to worse health in pregnant people and their children, including an increased risk of gestational diabetes, pre-term birth, and future cardiometabolic chronic conditions (e.g., type 2 diabetes and obesity). Interventions are being utilized to address food insecurity in clinical care settings, but patients differ in the support needed to reduce food insecurity and health systems have limited resources to invest in these interventions. Rather than a single intervention, adaptively allocating interventions could be a more effective, equitable, and efficient approach to improve food security; the objectives of this pilot study are to determine the feasibility of recruiting, retaining, and adaptively providing food insecurity interventions to pregnant patients in anticipation of a large, definitive trial in the future.
The goal of this comparative effectiveness trial is to compare how three different approaches to overcome barriers to resources and provide nutrition and physical activity counseling improve maternal healthy weight in pregnancy and postpartum. The main question it aims to answer is which of the two multi-level, multi-component interventions has greater effectiveness in reducing maternal postpartum weight retention at 12-months postpartum. Hypothesis (primary): Both multi-level, multi-component interventions will have greater effectiveness reducing maternal postpartum weight retention at 12-months postpartum than the usual care group. Hypothesis (secondary): The community-based intervention will have greater effectiveness than the self-management intervention. Participants will be asked to participate in one of the study interventions from early pregnancy until 12 months postpartum and complete five research visits. General procedures include completion of: * Questionnaires * Dietary recalls * In-depth interviews * Anthropometric measurements * Collection of blood via finger stick or blood panel
The goal of this clinical trial is to better understand how different strategies, timing, and enhancements to medically tailored food delivery will address structural inequities in the food environment, empower communities to sustain behavior change, and ultimately improve postpartum weight control to prevent chronic hypertension-a potent contributor to disparate mortality among Black women. * To conduct a pilot randomized control trial to test the feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness of a multi-component Medically Tailored Food (MTF) intervention, MFeast ENHANCED (a hybrid MTF intervention with a patient-activated change from prepared meals to fresh food delivery, customized for postpartum people, culturally customized for engagement and adherence, and food provision for dependents) versus MFeast Usual Care (prepared medically tailored foods only). * To test sustainability and scalability. Participants will: * Respond to online surveys (supported by study team members via scheduled phone calls) via REDCap links shared before each study visit at baseline, 3 and 6 months post-delivery after the baseline survey. * Submit anthropometric data (e.g. weight and blood pressure)
The goal of this clinical trial is to better understand how different strategies, timing, and enhancements to medically tailored food delivery will address structural inequities in the food environment, empower communities to sustain behavior change, and ultimately improve postpartum weight control to prevent type 2 diabetes-a potent contributor to disparate mortality among Black women. The main aims of the study are: * To conduct a pilot randomized control trial to test the feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness of a multi-component Medically Tailored Food (MTF) intervention, Moveable Feast ENHANCED (a hybrid MTF intervention with a patient-activated change from prepared meals to fresh food delivery, customized for postpartum people, culturally customized for engagement and adherence, and food provision for dependents) versus MFeast Usual Care (prepared medically tailored foods only) * To test sustainability and scalability. Participants will: * Respond to online surveys (supported by study team members via scheduled phone calls) via REDCap links shared before each study visit at baseline, 3, 6 months post-delivery after the baseline survey. * Submit anthropometric data (i.e, weight) and information about laboratory results ( e.g. HgbA1C)
Before infants are born, they depend on their mother to provide the nutrients necessary to grow and develop, such as iron, folic acid, iodine and other vitamins and minerals. Pregnant people also rely on good nutrition to support their own health. In addition to essential nutrients, vitamins, and minerals, there are other natural components found in fruits and vegetables, called phytochemicals, that may support maternal and fetal health during pregnancy. While more is known about the role of phytochemicals in adult health, surprisingly little is known about phytochemical nutrition during pregnancy. This study focuses on a group of phytochemicals, called carotenoids, during pregnancy. The study will determine if and why levels of carotenoids in the body change across the course of pregnancy. Understanding carotenoid nutrition during pregnancy will improve the understanding ofnutrition needs of expectant mothers and their infants. To study these questions, both health pregnant and non-pregnant female adults will report on their dietary intake and participate in body measurements, health surveys, and carotenoid measurements of eyes, skin, and blood at time points corresponding with the first, second, and third trimesters of pregnancy as well as post-partum.
This is a single site, single-blinded parallel randomized control trial that investigates a multi-level intervention to improve postpartum blood pressure in women with hypertensive disorder pregnancy. The investigators will recruit women diagnosed with a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy, identified between 3rd trimester and 2 weeks post-delivery. The investigators will randomize participants to receive usual care home blood pressure monitoring for 6 weeks versus an intervention of usual care + blood pressure and weight monitoring + a doula trained in heart health. This trial will be conducted in partnership with a local community-based organization, Healthy Start Inc.
This project aims to understand the local feasibility and acceptability of MamaMeals (a home-delivered nutritious, postpartum meal delivery program) and MamaMatters (a moderated social media-based peer support group) among peripartum women who are eligible for federal supplemental nutrition assistance programs such as The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The investigators will conduct a prospective randomized controlled trial (RCT) of these two interventions among postpartum individuals. Analyses will be performed to determine the relative risk of postpartum depressive or anxiety symptoms (primary outcome) and overall well-being and maternal/infant health (secondary/exploratory outcomes) between groups. Findings from this pilot intervention study will inform a future, large RCT exploring the effectiveness of MamaMeals and/or MamaMatters on reducing postpartum mental health symptoms and cardiovascular morbidity among individuals with food insecurity during and after pregnancy.
The aim of this project is to use the Exploration, Preparation, Implementation, Sustainment (EPIS) framework to collect pilot data on the implementation of a Diabetes Prevention Program-like intervention in the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program.
In this study, the investigators conducted research among HIV-infected and -uninfected pregnant and lactating women to understand the potential role and importance of food insecurity on participant physical and psychosocial health and nutrition.
The purpose of the study is to test whether nutritional supplementation during pregnancy is associated with 1) improved maternal health during pregnancy; 2) improved infant birth and neurodevelopmental outcomes, and 3) whether the association between nutritional supplementation during pregnancy and infant outcomes is partially mediated by reductions in maternal perceived stress and stress reactivity during pregnancy.
The purpose of this study is to determine whether fluoride supplementation during pregnancy is effective in extending the length of gestation and improving overall perinatal well-being.
The Delta Healthy Sprouts Project is a randomized, controlled trial evaluating the enhancement of an existing Mother, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program in 150 African American women in their early second trimester of pregnancy. The control arm, Parents as Teachers, is an evidence-based approach to increase parental knowledge of child development and improve parenting practices. The experimental arm, Parents as Teachers Enhanced, builds on the Parents as Teachers curriculum by including nutrition and physical activity components specifically designed for the gestational and postnatal periods. Both arms of the intervention will be implemented by community-based, trained Parent Educators. The comparative effectiveness of the two intervention arms on weight status, dietary intake, and health behaviors of mothers and their infants will be assessed. The Delta Healthy Sprouts Project will determine if a novel, scalable, lifestyle intervention can improve the health of African American women and their children at high-risk for obesity and chronic disease.
The purpose of this project is to study the effectiveness of teaching teens and young women with Phenylketonuria (PKU) or Maple Syrup Urine Disease (MSUD) about their disease and nutrition related issues in a camp environment. It will also look at pregnancy outcome results in women with PKU who attended Metabolic Camp and compare their results to other women with PKU who have not attended the Metabolic Camp.
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of the Healthy Lifestyles Passport Program (HLPP) in preventing infant and childhood obesity. It is hypothesized that the participants in the intervention arm will exhibit less excessive weight-for-length gain from 4- to 6-months of age. In 2-years and 5-years, it is predicted that the participants in the intervention arm will yield lower Body Mass Index (BMI) z-scores than the participants in the control arm, who receive usual care.
The goal of this clinical trial is to see how giving direct cash support affects the health of pregnant women and their babies in the U.S. Many families, especially those with low incomes, face challenges during pregnancy and after childbirth. This study will explore whether financial help during these times leads to better health. The main questions this research aims to answer are: * Does extra money during pregnancy and a baby's first months improve the baby's growth and overall health? * How does financial support affect a mother's physical and mental health before and after birth? * Does having extra money help moms get better healthcare and make healthier food choices for themselves and their babies? Participants in this study will be randomly assigned to either a high cash or low cash group. They will be enrolled in the study and asked to complete: * A baseline survey * A follow-up survey 12 months after enrollment * A final survey 18 months after enrollment In addition, participants' medical records will be reviewed, and some may be selected for a qualitative interview to share more about their experiences. This research is being done in partnership with The Bridge Project, a program that helps moms in need. The goal is to find better ways to support the health of moms and babies facing financial hardship.
The purpose of this study is to conduct formative work with relevant stakeholders, including families and home visitation program staff involved in previous studies and/or future projects, to understand facilitators, barriers, and other attitudes related to incorporating cardiovascular health topics into existing curricula and to obtain input on treatment modifications for future programs.
This study is an evaluation of the Fresh Rx: Nourishing Healthy Starts program administered by Operation Food Search, a St. Louis-based nonprofit organization. The program provides food and nutrition supports to food insecure pregnant women in conjunction with integrative care services in order to improve health and birth outcomes for both the mother and the child. The purpose of this study is to test the efficacy of this approach through a field experiment, and to assess the extent to which these services can provide cost savings to the healthcare system.
Obesity is recognized as a pro-inflammatory condition associated with multiple chronic diseases, including asthma. The specific mechanisms linking asthma and obesity remain hypothetical. Our primary hypothesis is that inflammatory SNPs may regulate the degree of the inflammatory response, with obesity modifying the severity of the disease. In this instance, asthma that develops in the context of obesity demonstrates the potential deleterious relationship between a specific proinflammatory state (obesity) and the genetic regulators of inflammation (SNPs). Our secondary hypothesis proposes that short-term (12-weeks) weight loss by diet alone, but not exercise alone, will reduce lung specific inflammation and diminish the pro-inflammatory responses in female African American obese adolescents with asthma compared to a waiting list control group who after their initial 12 weeks then receive a combined 12-week diet plus exercise program (waiting list control/combined). A third exploratory hypothesis proposes that the frequency of identified SNPs will be significantly related to the amount of fat loss through diet, exercise or combined program and will further be mediated by specific airway and, pro-and-anti-inflammatory markers.These hypotheses will be tested using the following Specific Aims: 1. To determine the frequency of single nucleotide polymorphisms and SNP haplotypes in pro- and anti-inflammatory genes in female African American obese and non-obese asthmatic and non-asthmatic adolescents, 13-19 years or age. 2. To examine the effects of diet or exercise on lung specific inflammation (exhaled nitric oxide, \[eNO\]) and pro-and-anti-inflammatory responses in female African-American obese asthmatic and non-asthmatic adolescents compared to a waiting list control/ combined group. In addition we will examine the following Exploratory Aim: To determine the effects of the inflammatory SNPs in the modulation of several inflammatory markers and lung specific inflammation (eNO) in female African-American obese asthmatic and non-asthmatic adolescents before and after weight loss through diet, exercise or both.
The Postpartum Weight Management Study is a true community-academic collaboration, bringing together Maternity Care Coalition (MCC) staff and the investigator, Dr. Charmaine Smith Wright from the University of Pennsylvania to address the needs of postpartum moms. The project is an innovative intervention to help moms lose weight after the birth of their baby. Helping mothers control their weight during pregnancy and beyond can help both mother and baby avoid later obesity and cardiovascular disease. Although all women are at risk for retaining the weight gained during pregnancy, this problem is amplified for low-income, minority women. The holistic approach aims to prevent postpartum weight retention and increase breastfeeding duration with a multi-component, low-cost intervention that provides: 1) Motivational appeals delivered in text message format; 2) Environmental aides, such as a baby carrier to combine exercise with infant care, and a pedometer to accurately measure exercise at home; 3) Enhanced peer support, including home visits and group classes with other mothers; and 4) Task-oriented professional support from nutrition and lactation experts, who assist women in developing a personalized health plan. The effectiveness of the intervention will be evaluated using a randomized control methodology among clients of MCC.