Mobile Tech & Peer Health Coaching for Pregnant Black Teens

Overseen By Abigail Gamble, PhD, MS

Age: < 65

Sex: Female

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: University of Mississippi Medical Center

Disqualifiers: Physical activity restrictions, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: Unknown

20 Participants Needed

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial aims to improve the health of pregnant Black teens in the Mississippi Delta through mobile technology and peer health coaching. Participants will use a Fitbit and receive tailored text messages and support from trained peer coaches to encourage healthy habits. The trial is designed for pregnant Black teens who are less than 20 weeks pregnant, enrolled in WIC, live in specific Mississippi Delta counties, and have a smartphone. This approach, which includes the #BabyLetsMove program, seeks to address health challenges and improve outcomes for both mothers and babies. As an unphased trial, it offers participants the opportunity to contribute to innovative research that aims to enhance maternal and infant health in their community.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial information does not specify whether participants need to stop taking their current medications.

What prior data suggests that this digital health intervention is safe for pregnant Black teens?

Research shows that the #BabyLetsMove program is a digital health tool utilizing mobile technology and peer support. Although specific safety data for pregnant Black teens using #BabyLetsMove is unavailable, the program includes features like a Fitbit activity tracker and personalized text messages, which are generally safe and widely used.

Similar mobile health programs aimed at improving maternal health have reported no safety issues. These programs have been used in other studies without major safety problems, indicating they are usually well-tolerated.

The trial is not classified under a specific phase, suggesting the program is considered safe for wide testing. This implies that earlier research likely addressed any major safety concerns. However, consulting a healthcare provider before joining a clinical trial is always advisable to ensure it is the right choice. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about the #BabyLetsMove program because it takes a fresh, tech-savvy approach to supporting the health of pregnant Black teens. Unlike traditional prenatal care, which often involves regular doctor visits and educational pamphlets, this program harnesses digital tools like a Fitbit activity tracker and interactive text messaging. It also includes peer health coaching, which provides personalized support and shared experiences from someone who's been in their shoes. This combination of technology and peer support aims to empower teens with real-time feedback and tailored guidance, making health management more engaging and relatable.

What evidence suggests that this digital health intervention is effective for improving maternal health in pregnant Black teens?

Research has shown that mobile health (mHealth) tools can improve health habits during pregnancy, leading to better outcomes for babies. Studies have found that technology like fitness trackers and personalized text messages can help pregnant teens monitor their health and receive tailored advice. In this trial, the #BabyLetsMove program uses digital tools, including a Fitbit activity tracker and tailored text messages, to encourage healthy behavior changes. Participants also receive support from peer health coaches. Although limited data exists specifically for pregnant Black teens, similar mHealth programs have succeeded in other groups by promoting healthier lifestyles. Early results suggest these methods could positively affect mothers' health, especially in high-risk groups. ^{2 6 7 8 9}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Abigail Gamble, PhD, MS

Principal Investigator

University of Mississippi Medical Center

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for Black or African American adolescent moms aged 15-18 years, who are more than six months postpartum, enrolled in WIC, speak English, and have at least a high school diploma or GED. They aim to help these young women improve their health after pregnancy.

Inclusion Criteria

#BabyLetsMove: 15- to 19-years old, Black or African American, <20 weeks' gestation, Enrolled in WIC, Residing in 1 of 8 Mississippi Delta Counties, English speaking, Own or have personal use of a mobile smart phone, Singleton pregnancy, Plan to carry the fetus to term and keep the infant after birth, No history of chronic medical conditions in the past year that could influence weight loss or gain

Exclusion Criteria

#BabyLetsMove: Restrictions on physical activity or exercise

Peer Health Coaches: Illiteracy

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Intervention

Participants engage in a 20-week multilevel, multicomponent digital health intervention to increase physical activity and reduce sedentary behavior.

20 weeks

Telehealth sessions with peer health coaching

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for changes in physical activity, sedentary behavior, and weight gain from baseline to 36 weeks' gestation.

16 weeks

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• #BabyLetsMove
• Peer Health Coaching

Trial Overview #BabyLetsMove and Peer Health Coaching are being tested as digital health interventions to support pregnant Black adolescents in the Mississippi Delta. The goal is to reduce risks of cardiometabolic diseases by addressing social barriers and promoting healthy behaviors.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: #BabyLetsMove Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

There are four digital components to the intervention including Fitbit activity tracker, interactive self-monitoring and tailored feedback text messages, tailored skills training text messages and materials, and peer health coaching.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

University of Mississippi Medical Center

Lead Sponsor

Trials

185

Recruited

200,000+

National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD)

Collaborator

Trials

473

Recruited

1,374,000+

Mississippi State Department of Health

Collaborator

Trials

7

Recruited

1,600+

Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)

Collaborator

Trials

88

Recruited

152,000+

National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)

Collaborator

Trials

315

Recruited

251,000+

Published Research Related to This Trial

A pilot study involving 120 pregnant women in Uganda showed that a mobile health messaging app significantly improved attendance at antenatal care visits and skilled deliveries, with 100% of women in the social supporter group attending at least 4 visits.

The app was highly accepted and deemed useful by over 90% of participants, indicating that leveraging social support networks through tailored messaging can effectively promote maternity service use in rural settings.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Evaluating the Feasibility, Acceptability, and Preliminary Efficacy of SupportMoms-Uganda, an mHealth-Based Patient-Centered Social Support Intervention to Improve the Use of Maternity Services Among Pregnant Women in Rural Southwestern Uganda: Randomized Controlled Trial. Atukunda, EC., Siedner, MJ., Obua, C., et al.[2023]

The peer-centered prenatal care program for adolescent mothers led to a lower rate of low birth weight babies (6.6% vs. 12.5%) compared to those receiving standard individual care, suggesting improved perinatal outcomes.

Participants in the experimental group were more likely to continue their education during and after pregnancy, indicating that the program may also support long-term educational goals for adolescent mothers.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Effects of a prenatal care intervention for adolescent mothers on birth weight, repeat pregnancy, and educational outcomes at one year postpartum. Ford, K., Weglicki, L., Kershaw, T., et al.[2020]

A 12-week mobile health (mHealth) intervention for university students showed some positive changes in weight and lifestyle behaviors, including a mean weight loss of 1.6 kg and increased physical activity.

Despite these improvements, the changes were not significantly different from the control group, suggesting that higher engagement and personalized support may be necessary for more effective outcomes.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A mobile health intervention for weight management among young adults: a pilot randomised controlled trial. Hebden, L., Cook, A., van der Ploeg, HP., et al.[2022]

A new smartphone app designed for pregnant women has successfully enrolled 2058 participants across all 50 states, allowing for large-scale data collection on factors influencing healthy pregnancies.

The study collected over 14,000 surveys and more than 107,000 daily measurements related to health metrics, demonstrating the app's potential to gather valuable data that can improve maternal and fetal health outcomes.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The Healthy Pregnancy Research Program: transforming pregnancy research through a ResearchKit app. Radin, JM., Steinhubl, SR., Su, AI., et al.[2020]

A pilot study involving 50 obese black women tested a 6-month text messaging intervention for weight loss, showing that participants in the intervention group lost an average of 1.27 kg, while the control group gained weight, indicating potential efficacy of the text messaging approach.

The study found that 85% of participants engaged with the self-monitoring prompts at least twice a week, and many reported that the daily texting was easy and helpful, suggesting that text messaging could be a feasible tool for weight management in this population.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Daily text messaging for weight control among racial and ethnic minority women: randomized controlled pilot study. Steinberg, DM., Levine, EL., Askew, S., et al.[2021]

Citations

1. withpower.com withpower.com/trial/phase-weight-gain-6-2023-f1f96

Mobile Tech & Peer Health Coaching for Pregnant Black Teens The research articles reviewed do not provide specific safety data for the mobile tech and peer health coaching intervention for pregnant Black teens.

2. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7394938/

Qualitative Interviews with WIC Providers - PMC The goal of this investigation was to explore the experiences of WIC providers who counsel adolescent clients and to identify strategies for recruitment, ...

3. journals.sagepub.com journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/15248399241234636

Examining the Perceptions of mHealth on Racial and ... This review examines the perceptions of mHealth applications and their utility in health outcomes among postpartum Black women.

4. sciencedirect.com sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1054139X19304288

An App-Based Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program for ... This study presents short-term results from an app-based teen pregnancy prevention program that incorporates online-only recruitment and data collection.

5. mhealth.jmir.org mhealth.jmir.org/2025/1/e59144/PDF

A Tailored mHealth Intervention for Improving Antenatal Care Mobile health (mHealth) interventions have the potential to improve pregnancy health behaviors and thereby birth outcomes. Objective: This pilot ...

6. forgeaheadcenter.com forgeaheadcenter.com/teen-mom-study-a-hybrid-cluster-randomized-trial/

Teen Mom Study: A Hybrid Cluster Randomized Trial Primary aim of study: Determine the effect of #BabyLetsMove compared to usual WIC care on objective moderate-to-vigorous physical activity & blood pressure ...

7. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12534758/

A Tailored mHealth Intervention for Improving Antenatal ... We recently developed a mHealth intervention targeted specifically for pregnant adolescent girls and young women that aimed to improve ...

8. systematicreviewsjournal.biomedcentral.com systematicreviewsjournal.biomedcentral.com/counter/pdf/10.1186/s13643-023-02361-8.pdf?utm_source=consensus

Interventions to prevent unintended pregnancies among ... Over half. (55%) of the unintended pregnancies among 15–19-year- old adolescent girls result in abortions, which are fre- quently unsafe in LMICs [77]. The ...

9. sciencedirect.com sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2414644724000411

Mobile health interventions for improving maternal and ... This study aimed to review mobile health (mHealth) interventions deployed to improve maternal and child health outcomes.