# Optimizing health from pregnancy through one year postpartum: A sequential multiple assignment randomized trial (SMART) of perinatal lifestyle intervention

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH · 2021 · $368,352

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
We are currently recruiting women with overweight/obesity (prepregnancy BMI ≥ 25) at the beginning of
pregnancy into a two-stage randomized trial of lifestyle interventions delivered across pregnancy and the first
year postpartum (R01HL132578). In response to NOT-OD-21-071 “Administrative Supplements and Urgent
Competitive Revisions for NIH Grants to Add or Expand Research Focused on Maternal Health, Structural
Racism and Discrimination (SRD), and COVID-19,” we propose to enhance the aims of our ongoing trial of
perinatal lifestyle interventions, “Optimizing Health from Pregnancy through One Year Postpartum: A
Sequential Multiple Assignment Randomized Trial [SMART] of Perinatal Lifestyle Intervention” to address
questions about the ways in which the COVID-19 pandemic and structural racism and discrimination (SRD)
affect perinatal health and mental health. We propose to enhance the aims of our ongoing trial in several ways.
First, we aim to evaluate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on weight, weight-related behaviors,
depressive symptoms, and psychosocial stress among women with prepregnancy overweight/obesity from
pregnancy to 6 months postpartum and examine the potential for behavioral and psychosocial intervention
delivered during the perinatal period to attenuate negative effects of the pandemic on maternal health and
mental health. Second, we propose to add assessments of food insecurity and racial discrimination. Given the
disproportionate effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on Black women’s health, we will enhance our sample by
recruiting 40 additional Black pregnant women (prepregnancy BMI ≥ 25). The added assessments of food
insecurity and discrimination will supplement measures of dietary intake, physical activity, depressive
symptoms, psychosocial stress, sleep, and weight collected in the parent R01. Intervention components such
as psychoeducation, coaching, goal-setting, and support related to health behavior promotion, mood and
stress management can address stressors related to the pandemic, and the myriad challenges and concerns
women face during pregnancy and postpartum. The aims of this supplement are to: (1) Examine the impact of
the COVID-19 pandemic on weight, weight-related behaviors, depressive symptoms, and psychosocial stress
in women with overweight/obesity at the end of pregnancy and 6 months postpartum; (2) Determine whether
perinatal lifestyle intervention attenuates negative pandemic-related effects on weight, weight-related
behaviors and mental health; and (3) Evaluate food insecurity and perceived discrimination in relation to
maternal weight, mental health outcomes, and lifestyle intervention response. Thus, we aim to leverage the
ongoing R01 to contribute an evidence base to improve care by documenting the potential for lifestyle
intervention to attenuate negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on perinatal maternal health and mental
health.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10392312
- **Project number:** 3R01HL132578-05S1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH
- **Principal Investigator:** MICHELE D LEVINE
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $368,352
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2021-09-13 → 2024-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10392312

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10392312, Optimizing health from pregnancy through one year postpartum: A sequential multiple assignment randomized trial (SMART) of perinatal lifestyle intervention (3R01HL132578-05S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-27 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10392312. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*