The HEALTHY study: Healthy Eating, Exercise And Lifestyle Trial for pregnant women for the control of fasting blood glucose
| ISRCTN | ISRCTN31045925 |
|---|---|
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN31045925 |
| Clinical Trials Information System (CTIS) | 2013-004066-33 |
| Protocol serial number | 26-2011 |
| Sponsor | Coombe Women and Infants University Hospital (Ireland) |
| Funders | Coombe Women and Infants University Hospital (Ireland), University College Dublin (Ireland) |
- Submission date
- 19/09/2013
- Registration date
- 31/10/2013
- Last edited
- 11/10/2017
- Recruitment status
- No longer recruiting
- Overall study status
- Completed
- Condition category
- Pregnancy and Childbirth
Plain English summary of protocol
Background and study aims
Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) is diabetes that is diagnosed during pregnancy, and affects 3-6% of women who deliver a baby in Ireland. GDM has a serious impact on the woman and her baby. She is more likely to require induction of labour or a caesarean section, and the diagnosis has a 7-fold increase in the risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus. Potential complications for the baby include stillbirth, malformations at birth, excessive accumulation of fat, low blood sugar after birth and an increased risk of childhood obesity. GDM is now diagnosed more often in Ireland because of stricter guidelines and prompt screening, which is based on risk factors. The mother may get GDM due to family history, previously delivering a large baby, and maternal obesity. Arguably, obesity is the most important risk factor because it is common and potentially modifiable. About one in six women booking for antenatal care in Ireland today is obese which places them at high risk of GDM. The aim of this study is to find out whether a programme of intensive, supervised exercise classes, providing information on diet and lifestyle, starting early in the second trimester, will improve an obese womans fasting glucose levels at 24-28 weeks of pregnancy.
Who can participate?
Overweight women attending the hospital for their first visit between 10 and 17 weeks of pregnancy
What does the study involve?
Participants will be randomly allocated to one of two groups: intervention or non-intervention. The intervention group will be asked to attend three exercise classes per week, and will continue receiving standard antenatal care. The non-intervention group will continue their pregnancy receiving standard antenatal care alone. Assessments of the pregnant woman and her baby (measurements of weight and body composition, blood tests, and lifestyle and quality of life questionnaires) will be performed at 24-28 weeks and 35-38 weeks of pregnancy, and at 6 weeks after childbirth.
What are the possible benefits and risks of participating?
Exercise in pregnancy has been shown to be safe. Participants are coached during classes on how intensely, how often, and what exercise they should be doing. Benefits to exercising during pregnancy are both physical and psychological.
Where is the study run from?
Coombe Women and Infants University Hospital (Ireland)
When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for?
It is anticipated that recruitment will start towards the end of 2013. Participants will be enrolled in the study from 10-17 weeks of pregnancy to 6 weeks after giving birth; however, the study will extend beyond this as we intend to follow the participants and their infants health over a longer period.
Who is funding the study?
The Coombe Women and Infants University Hospital (CWIUH) (Ireland) and University College Dublin (UCD) (Ireland)
Who is the main contact?
Prof. Michael J Turner
michael.turner@ucd.ie
Contact information
Scientific
UCD Centre for Human Reproduction
Coombe Women and Infants University Hospital
Cork Street
Dublin
Dublin 8
Ireland
Study information
| Primary study design | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Study design | Single-blinded randomised controlled trial |
| Secondary study design | Randomised controlled trial |
| Study type | Participant information sheet |
| Scientific title | HEALTHY: a single-blinded, randomised, controlled trial for pregnant women with a BMI >29.9kg/m2; healthy eating, exercise and lifestyle intervention and standard antenatal care versus standard antenatal care alone for the control of fasting blood glucose |
| Study acronym | HEALTHY |
| Study objectives | Current hypothesis as of 16/09/2014: It is hypothesised that in pregnant women with a BMI >29.9 kg/m2, an intervention, commencing early in the second trimester, of healthy eating, exercise and lifestyle change, through regular group exercise classes and standard antenatal care, will result in a 24-28-week mean fasting glucose level that is 0.4 mmol per litre lower than that of the group receiving standard antenatal care alone. Previous hypothesis: It is hypothesised that in pregnant women with a BMI >29.9 kg/m2, an intervention, commencing early in the second trimester, of healthy eating, exercise and lifestyle change, through regular group exercise classes and standard antenatal care, will result in a 28-week mean fasting glucose level that is 0.4 mmol per litre lower than that of the group receiving standard antenatal care alone. |
| Ethics approval(s) | Coombe Women and Infants University Hospital Research Ethics Approval, October 2012, ref: 26-2011 |
| Health condition(s) or problem(s) studied | Gestational diabetes, obesity in pregnancy |
| Intervention | Current interventions as of 16/09/2014: Once women are included in the study, they will be randomised into one of two groups: exercise intervention or non-intervention (standard antenatal care). The exercise intervention will be an established group exercise programme taught by principal investigator and research fellow Dr Niamh Daly who is a certified trainer, and a trainee Obstetrician and Gynaecologist on the Specialist Training Scheme. The class will be a training programme package of exercise: aerobic and resistance training in addition to promotion of healthy lifestyle choices, such as smoking cessation, minimising alcohol intake and abstaining from processed 'junk' foods. The exercise programme promotes healthier patterns of eating and living but does not emphasise limiting energy intake. The advice is repeated, re-enforced and positive, in the form of promotion of healthy fresh foods (high-quality protein [fresh meat/poultry/eggs/fish], low-glycaemic index, fresh fruit and vegetables and nuts, choosing low-fat over full-fat products, smoking cessation, minimising alcohol intake), with recipe, website, literature and other resource suggestions usually as part of a group discussion towards the last 5 minutes of each hour-long class. Standard antenatal care Standard antenatal care for obese pregnant women is usually combined antenatal care between hospital and GP. With a BMI >29.9 kg/m2, they are ineligible for midwifery-led care. Visits are alternated until late pregnancy when all pregnancy visits are with an obstetrician in the hospital. As part of routine antenatal care, fasting bloods and Oral Glucose Tolerance Tests (OGTTs) are taken at 24-28 weeks to screen for gestational diabetes mellitus. Fasting bloods will also be performed in all participants at 10-17 weeks gestation, 24-28 weeks gestation, 35-38 weeks gestation and 6-8 weeks postpartum to observe patterns and differences within and between the two groups. A sample size of 24 per arm is required to have at least 80% power to detect a clinically meaningful difference of 0.4 mmol/L with a level of significance of 0.05. Previous interventions: Once women are included in the study, they will be randomised into one of two groups: Exercise intervention or non-intervention (standard antenatal care). The exercise intervention will be an established group exercise programme taught by principal investigator and research fellow Dr Niamh Daly who is a certified trainer, and a trainee Obstetrician and Gynaecologist on the Specialist Training Scheme. The class will be a training programme package of exercise: aerobic and resistance training consisting of constantly varied, modified-intensity, functional movements; in addition to promotion of healthy lifestyle choices, such as smoking cessation, minimising alcohol intake and abstaining from processed 'junk' foods. The exercise programme promotes healthier patterns of eating and living but does not emphasise limiting energy intake. The advice is repeated, re-enforced and positive, in the form of promotion of healthy fresh foods (high quality protein [fresh meat/poultry/eggs/fish], low-glycaemic index, fresh fruit and vegetables and nuts, choosing low-fat over full-fat products, smoking cessation, minimising alcohol intake), with recipe, website, literature and other resource suggestions usually as part of a group discussion towards the last 5 minutes of each hour-long class. Regarding safety of the intervention, classes will be small with a maximum of ten women per class, allowing one-to-one attention during classes. Intensity will be kept under control with the talk test, i.e. the subject can maintain a conversation during exercise, and in terms of the Borgs Rating of 12-14 (exertion of 65-75%). Measurement of physical activity will be documented by measuring the metabolic equivalent tasks (METs) as recommended by recent updated exercise in pregnancy guidelines (Zavorsky & Longo, 2011). In the information leaflet given to each woman at recruitment, participants will be informed of limitations, contraindications and warning signs while exercising. Before commencing classes, each subject will have a counselling session with the research fellow and PI, Dr Daly. Individual counselling sessions have been found to be successful in terms of attendance in a feasibility study of a trial to prevent excessive pregnancy-related weight gain in Finland (Kinnunen et al., 2008). Resistance training within each class will be individualised following this consultation. During the individual counselling sessions the subject will be debriefed about her physical activity level, the level required, the means of how this could be achieved, and resistance training. Where participants are keen to engage in other forms of activity at a similar intensity, frequency and duration of these will be discussed with the research fellow, and the participant will be advised. Counselling will also take place regarding dietary and lifestyle choices, and the possibility and importance of change. Each subject will undergo induction to the group classes through five fundamentals classes. This class is for beginners and takes subjects through nine basic functional movements essential to move safely in the exercise programme. Subjects learn to move correctly with minimal risk of injury. Each subject is encouraged to attend three classes per week, and to log their class attendance and activity in a logbook for both personal and investigators ability to track progress within individual movements (repetitions, weights) and within workouts, and longitudinally over pregnancy. Outside the group class setting, women will be encouraged to increase their activity levels. In subjects found to engage in less than 10 minutes of exercise per day during the initial assessment, exercise will require longer and more frequent rest periods within the class. The classes will be taught in the Education Centre of CWIUH. This means that any participant included in the study has already chosen to attend the hospital for antenatal care and thus, is most likely living or working in this catchment area, making access to the location simple. Classes will be offered at least twice per day and for at least four of five weekdays (8-15 classes to choose from per week, depending on the stage of the study and number of participants, invited to attend three per week). In order to facilitate attendance, we have taken measures to aid with childcare and compliance. In terms of continuing this programme beyond the 6 weeks postpartum, after their participation in the study has ceased, these women will be referred to online resources to enable them to do classes in the comfort of their own homes (or with friends that they have made within the intervention group) should they so wish. These classes are already established internationally and are reproducible should any other unit wish to use this programme. Standard antenatal care Standard antenatal care for obese pregnant women is usually combined antenatal care between hospital and GP. With a BMI >29.9 kg/m2, they are ineligible for midwifery-led care. Visits are alternated until late pregnancy when all pregnancy visits are with an obstetrician in the hospital. As part of routine antenatal care, fasting bloods and Oral Glucose Tolerance Tests (OGTTs) are taken at 28 weeks to screen for gestational diabetes mellitus. Fasting bloods will also be performed in all participants at 14 weeks gestation, 28 weeks gestation, 36 weeks gestation and 6 weeks postpartum to observe patterns and differences within and between the two groups. A sample size of 28 per arm is required to have at least 80% power to detect a clinically meaningful difference of 0.4 mmol/L with a level of significance of 0.05. |
| Intervention type | Other |
| Primary outcome measure(s) |
Current primary outcome measures as of 16/09/2014: |
| Key secondary outcome measure(s) |
Current secondary outcome measures as of 16/09/2014: |
| Completion date | 30/06/2015 |
Eligibility
| Participant type(s) | Patient |
|---|---|
| Age group | Adult |
| Lower age limit | 18 Years |
| Sex | Female |
| Target sample size at registration | 304 |
| Key inclusion criteria | 1. Pregnant 2. BMI more 29.9 kg/m2 (obese) 3. Over 18 years of age 4. Fluent in English 5. Able to give written informed consent 6. Willing to be assigned to any of the intervention groups |
| Key exclusion criteria | Current exclusion criteria as of 16/09/2014: 1. BMI less than 29.9 kg/m2 2. Gestation >17 weeks gestation 3. Multiple pregnancy 4. Pre-existing diabetes mellitus 5. Hypertension (systolic pressure >160 mmHg and/or diastolic pressure >100 mmHg) or requiring antihypertensive medication 6. Alcohol abuse (i.e., two glasses alcohol or more per day) 7. Drug abuse (except for incidental analgesic agents) 8. Use of medication that affects insulin secretion or insulin sensitivity (antiviral, corticosteroids, antihypertensive drugs, all medication will be discussed) 9. Serious cardiorespiratory disorders 10. Hepatic or renal (serum creatinine >100 μmol/l) impairment 11. Systemic lupus erythematosus 12. Haematological disorders 13. Thalassaemia 14. Coeliac disease 15. Current psychosis 16. Malignant disease 17. Contraindications outlined on the parmed-x form Previous exclusion criteria: 1. BMI less than 29.9 kg/m2 2. Multiple pregnancy 3. Pre-existing (gestational) diabetes mellitus 4. Hypertension (systolic pressure >160 mmHg and/or diastolic pressure >100 mmHg) or requiring antihypertensive medication 5. Alcohol abuse (i.e., two glasses alcohol or more per day) 6. Drug abuse (except for incidental analgesic agents) 7. Use of medication that affects insulin secretion or insulin sensitivity (antiviral, corticosteroids, antihypertensive drugs, all medication will be discussed) 8. Serious cardiorespiratory disorders 9. Hepatic or renal (serum creatinine >100 μmol/l) impairment 10. Systemic lupus erythematosus 11. Haematological disorders 12. Thalassaemia 13. Coeliac disease 14. Thyroid disease 15. Current psychosis 16. Malignant disease 17. Contraindications outlined on the parmed-x form |
| Date of first enrolment | 19/11/2013 |
| Date of final enrolment | 30/06/2015 |
Locations
Countries of recruitment
- Ireland
Study participating centre
Dublin 8
Ireland
Results and Publications
| Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to share | No |
|---|---|
| IPD sharing plan summary | Not provided at time of registration |
| IPD sharing plan |
Study outputs
| Output type | Details | Date created | Date added | Peer reviewed? | Patient-facing? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Results article | results | 01/11/2017 | Yes | No | |
| Participant information sheet | Participant information sheet | 11/11/2025 | 11/11/2025 | No | Yes |
Editorial Notes
11/10/2017: Publication reference added.
