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Feasibility of a Prenatal Yoga Mobile App in African American Pregnant Women

Not Applicable
Recruiting
Conditions
Mental Health Issue
Discrimination, Racial
Depression
Pregnancy Related
Stress
Interventions
Behavioral: Down Dog Prenatal Yoga App
Registration Number
NCT06353113
Lead Sponsor
San Diego State University
Brief Summary

The goal of this research is to test if a prenatal yoga app can improve well-being in African American/Black (AA) pregnant women. The main questions it aims to answer are:

1. Is the Down Dog prenatal yoga app feasible for AA pregnant women?

2. How does mental and physical health change after using the Down Dog app for 12-weeks?

3. What cultural adaptations to the Down Dog app are needed?

The study lasts for 12 weeks and participants are asked to:

* do prenatal yoga with the app for at least 20 min/day, three days/week, from home

* wear a Garmin Vivosmart 5 watch daily

* complete four online surveys

* complete an optional virtual interview

This project aims to advance public health by contributing to a broader understanding of how prenatal yoga can support the health and well-being of AA pregnant women and promote optimal maternal and child health outcomes.

Detailed Description

Recruitment: The investigators will recruit 50 pregnant African American women from local prenatal clinics, non-profits, and social media.

Eligibility: All interested participants will complete a web-based eligibility screener (\~5 minutes). Eligible participants will be asked to schedule a virtual intake appointment to review the consent form with a research team member.

Procedures: Participants must sign an informed consent and complete a Physical Activity Readiness Medical Examination (PARmed-X) for Pregnancy with their healthcare provider before beginning the study. Once participants sign the consent and return a completed PARmed-X form, they will be asked to schedule an in-person enrollment appointment.

During the in-person enrollment appointment, participants will receive a free yoga mat and Garmin Vivosmart 5, and study materials. A research team member will set up the Garmin device for the participant. Participants will be asked to resume normal activities for one week before beginning the intervention and to complete a baseline survey.

After one week of baseline data collection, a research team member will send the participant an email with instructions to download/use the prenatal yoga mobile app and other relevant study materials. Participants will then engage in prenatal yoga using the mobile app for at least 20 min/day, 3 days/week for the next 12 weeks. Participants will receive a mid-intervention survey at 6 weeks, a post-intervention survey at 12 weeks, and will have an opportunity to complete a virtual interview when the study is over. Within 1-2 weeks after the participants' due date, a research team member will send an online birth outcomes survey to collect self-reported birth outcomes.

The baseline, mid-intervention, and post-intervention surveys will ask about mental and physical health and perceptions about using the prenatal mobile app. The optional virtual interview will ask questions related to further understanding the feasibility of the prenatal yoga mobile app and exploring cultural adaptations to improve the app.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
RECRUITING
Sex
Female
Target Recruitment
50
Inclusion Criteria

Not provided

Exclusion Criteria
  • High-risk pregnancy
  • Severe psychiatric disorder or substance abuse
  • Denial of physical activity participation from physician

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
SINGLE_GROUP
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Down Dog Prenatal Yoga AppDown Dog Prenatal Yoga AppPrenatal yoga via Down Dog Prenatal Yoga Mobile App 20 minutes a day, 3 days per week, for 12 weeks.
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Acceptability of the interventionPost intervention (12 weeks)

Assessed using an investigator-developed questionnaire using a 5 point likert scale from strongly agree to strongly disagree. Acceptability benchmark: \> 70% of participants report the intervention to be satisfactory, intend to continue using the app, and perceive the app content to be appropriate for pregnancy.

Ease of recruitmentAssessed at enrollment

Assessed by evaluating enrollment rate. Recruitment benchmark: \>8 participants will be enrolled each month on average.

RetentionAssessed across 12-week study period

Assessed by calculating the proportion of enrolled participants that complete intervention vs withdrawals. Retention benchmark: ≥70% (N=35) complete the intervention.

Demand of the interventionAssessed across 12-week study period

Assessed by measuring actual use of the mobile app with data analytics provided from Down dog. Demand benchmark: \>70% of participants complete at least 75% of their weekly prescribed minutes (i.e., ≥ 45 of 60 minutes per week).

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Perinatal DepressionBaseline, Mid-intervention (6 weeks), and Post-intervention (12 weeks)

Perinatal Depression will be measured using the 10-item Edinburg Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). Scores range from 0-30, with "possible depression" defined by a score of 10 or greater.

Perceived stressBaseline, Mid-intervention (6 weeks), and Post-intervention (12 weeks)

Perceived stress will be measured using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10). The PSS-10 is a 10-item instrument scored on a 5-point Likert scale (0-Never, 1- Almost Never, 2- Sometimes, 3- Fairly Often, 4-Very Often). Higher scores indicate greater levels of perceived stress.

MindfulnessBaseline, Mid-intervention (6 weeks), and Post-intervention (12 weeks)

Mindfulness will be measured using the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS). The MAAS is a 15-item instrument scored on a 6-point Likert scale (1- Almost Always, 2- Very Frequently, 3- Somewhat Frequently, 4- Somewhat Infrequently, 5- Very Infrequently, 6- Almost Never). Higher scores indicate greater levels of mindfulness.

Subjective physical activityBaseline, Mid-intervention (6 weeks), and Post-intervention (12 weeks)

Subjective physical activity will be measured using the Pregnancy Physical Activity Questionnaire (PPAQ). The instrument assesses the approximate amount of time spent in 32 activities including household/caregiving, occupational, sports/exercise, and inactivity during the current trimester. Duration and intensity will be determined using Compendium-based MET values.

Objective physical activity (intensity)Daily for 12 weeks

Intensity of activity will be measured using metabolic equivalents (METs) value via the Garmin Vivosmart 5 fitness tracker.

Cardiac health (heart rate variability)Daily for 12 weeks

Heart rate variability in milliseconds will be measured using the Garmin Vivosmart 5 fitness tracker.

Birth outcomes (gestational age)Post-delivery (~2 weeks after delivery of baby)

Self-report survey will be used to assess gestational age (total length of pregnancy in weeks).

Birth outcomes (intervention used for delivery)Post-delivery (~2 weeks after delivery of baby)

Self-report survey will be used to assess interventions used for delivery, if applicable, using a list. An intervention can include use of medical treatments or procedures to induce labor or assist with delivery.

Birth outcomes (maternal weight)Post-delivery (~2 weeks after delivery of baby)

Self-report survey will be used to assess maternal weight (last known weight before delivery in pounds).

Cultural adaptationsPost-Intervention (12 weeks)

Qualitative interviews will be used to explore and identify cultural adaptations relevant for African American pregnant women.

Self-awarenessBaseline, Mid-intervention (6 weeks), and Post-intervention (12 weeks)

Self-awareness will be measured using the Self Awareness Outcomes Questionnaire (SAOQ). The SAOQ is a 38-item instrument scored on a 5-point Likert scale (1- Never, 2- Rarely, 3- Occasionally, 4- Frequently, 5- Almost Always). The SAOQ has 4 subscales and the score is determined by calculating the mean of certain items corresponding to each subscale. Higher scores indicate greater frequency of experienced outcomes.

Birth outcomes (birth weight)Post-delivery (~2 weeks after delivery of baby)

Self-report survey will be used to assess birth weight (weight of baby in pounds + ounces).

Birth outcomes (type of delivery)Post-delivery (~2 weeks after delivery of baby)

Self-report survey will be used to assess the type of delivery (e.g., vaginal, planned C-section, unplanned C-section).

Birth outcomes (pregnancy-related disorders)Post-delivery (~2 weeks after delivery of baby)

Self-report survey will be used to assess pregnancy-related disorders, if applicable, using a list. Pregnancy-related disorders could be complications including physical and mental conditions that affect the health of the pregnant or postpartum person, their baby, or both (e.g.,preterm birth, gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, eclampsia, birth injury, postpartum hemorrhage, postpartum hypertension etc.)

DiscriminationBaseline, Mid-intervention (6 weeks), and Post-intervention (12 weeks)

Discrimination will be assessed using the Discrimination in Medical Settings (DMS) Scale. The DMS is a 7-item instrument scored on a 5-point Likert scale (1-never, 2-rarely, 3-sometimes, 4-most of the time, 5-always). Higher scores indicate greater levels of discrimination.

Objective physical activity (steps)Daily for 12 weeks

The number of steps per day will be measured using the Garmin Vivosmart 5 fitness tracker.

Cardiac health (heart rate)Daily for 12 weeks

Heart rate in beats per minute (BPM) will be measured using the Garmin Vivosmart 5 fitness tracker.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

San Diego State University

🇺🇸

San Diego, California, United States

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