Maternal and Child Health Journal

, Volume 22, Issue 5, pp 670–678 | Cite as

Novel Interventions to Reduce Stress and Overeating in Overweight Pregnant Women: A Feasibility Study

  • B. A. Laraia
  • N. E. Adler
  • K. Coleman-Phox
  • C. Vieten
  • L. Mellin
  • J. L. Kristeller
  • M. Thomas
  • N. E. Stotland
  • R. H. Lustig
  • M. F. Dallman
  • F. M. Hecht
  • N. R. Bush
  • C. L. de Groat
  • E. Epel
Article
First Online:

Abstract

Background High stress and depression during pregnancy are risk factors for worsened health trajectories for both mother and offspring. This is also true for pre-pregnancy obesity and excessive gestational weight gain. Reducing stress and depression may be one path to prevent excessive caloric intake and gestational weight gain. Study Purpose We tested the feasibility of two novel interventions aimed at reducing stress and overeating during pregnancy. Reflecting different theoretical underpinnings, the interventions target different mechanisms. Mindful Moms Training (MMT) uses mindfulness to improve awareness and acceptance of experiences and promote conscious rather than automatic behavior choices. Emotional Brain Training (EBT) uses active coping to change perceptions of negative experience and promote positive affective states. Methods Forty-six overweight/obese low-income women were assigned to either MMT (n = 24) or EBT (n = 22) for an 8-week feasibility study. Pre-post changes in perceived stress, eating and presumed mechanisms were assessed. Results Women reported high levels of stress at baseline. Both interventions were well attended and demonstrated clinically significant pre-post reductions in stress, depressive symptoms, and improved eating behaviors. MMT significantly decreased experiential avoidance, whereas EBT significantly increased positive reappraisal; these changes were marginally significantly different by group. Conclusions This feasibility study found that both interventions promoted meaningful reductions in stress and depressive symptoms and improved reported eating behaviors in a high-risk group of pregnant women. Each intervention has a potentially different pathway—acceptance for MMT and reappraisal for EBT. Larger studies are needed to test efficacy on longer term reductions in stress and overeating.

Keywords

Mindfulness Stress-reduction Stress Depression Pregnancy Eating behavior Obesity 
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Supplementary material

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Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2018

Authors and Affiliations

  • B. A. Laraia
    • 1
  • N. E. Adler
    • 2
    • 3
  • K. Coleman-Phox
    • 3
  • C. Vieten
    • 4
    • 5
  • L. Mellin
    • 6
    • 7
  • J. L. Kristeller
    • 8
  • M. Thomas
    • 2
  • N. E. Stotland
    • 9
  • R. H. Lustig
    • 10
  • M. F. Dallman
    • 11
  • F. M. Hecht
    • 12
  • N. R. Bush
    • 2
    • 3
    • 10
  • C. L. de Groat
    • 3
  • E. Epel
    • 2
    • 3
  1. 1.Public Health Nutrition, School of Public HealthUniversity of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUSA
  2. 2.Department of PsychiatryUCSF School of MedicineSan FranciscoUSA
  3. 3.Center for Health and CommunitySan FranciscoUSA
  4. 4.Institute of Noetic SciencesPetalumaUSA
  5. 5.California Pacific Medical Center Research InstituteSan FranciscoUSA
  6. 6.Family & Community Medicine and PediatricsSan FranciscoUSA
  7. 7.Emotional Brain Training Center of ExcellenceSan FranciscoUSA
  8. 8.Department of PsychologyIndiana StateTerre HauteUSA
  9. 9.Department of Ob/Gyn, Reproductive Sciences, San Francisco General HospitalUCSF School of MedicineSan FranciscoUSA
  10. 10.Department of PediatricsUCSF School of MedicineSan FranciscoUSA
  11. 11.UCSF Department of PhysiologySan FranciscoUSA
  12. 12.Osher Center for Integrative MedicineSan FranciscoUSA

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