The INTER-ACT E-Health Supported Lifestyle Intervention Improves Postpartum Food Intake and Eating Behavior, but Not Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior—A Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract

Unhealthy postpartum lifestyle is related to long-term adverse psychological, metabolic and cardiovascular health outcomes as well as to complications in the next pregnancy. Especially women with preceding excessive gestational weight gain are at risk. This paper aims to evaluate the effect of the postpartum phase of the INTER-ACT randomized controlled trial (RCT) on food intake, eating behavior, physical activity and sedentary time at the end of the intervention (six months postpartum) and at six-months follow-up (12 months postpartum). The study population comprised women with excessive gestational weight gain in the preceding pregnancy. The lifestyle intervention combined a smartphone application with four face-to-face coaching sessions between six weeks and six months postpartum. After the intervention, restrained eating score was 1 point higher (95% CI 0.5, 1.5; p < 0.001), uncontrolled eating score was 1 point lower (95% CI −1.9, −0.2; p = 0.02) and energy intake was 69 kcal lower (95% CI −123, −15; p = 0.01) in the intervention group compared to the control group. The differences were no longer statistically significant at follow-up. No significant effects on emotional eating, physical activity and sedentary behavior were found. In conclusion, the postpartum phase of the INTER-ACT RCT was effective in improving nutrition-related outcomes, however, these improvements could not be sustained at follow-up. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02989142.