Online Prenatal Nutrition Education: Helping Pregnant Women Eat Healthfully Using MyPyramid.gov

The web-based MyPyramid developed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture is a nutrition education program. Care providers can use the MyPyramid to enhance nutrition information delivery and foster healthy eating behaviors in their patients. Three interactive tools are available in the MyPyramid for pregnant women, including the “MyPyramid plan for Moms,” the “MyPyramid Menu Planner for Moms,” and the “MyPyramid Tracker.” These tools help pregnant women learn about nutritional needs for pregnancy, menu planning, and dietary monitoring

Depressive Symptoms and Obesity/Weight Gain Factors Among Black and Hispanic Pregnant Women

This study examined the relationships between depressive symptoms and obesity/weight gain factors in 56 Black and Hispanic pregnant women and the differences in these variables between the 2 ethnic groups. Of the women, 32% were likely depressed, 66% were overweight/obese, and 45% gained excessive gestational weight. Depressive symptoms were positively correlated with prepregnancy body mass index (BMI; r = .268, p = .046), inversely related to gestational weight gain (r = –.329, p = .013), and not associated with excessive gestational weight gain. Black women were more likely to have excessive gestational weight gain than Hispanic women. Prepregnancy BMI and gestational weight gain data can be useful in identifying pregnant women with depression

Maternal Gestational Weight Gain: Perceptions of Overweight and Obese Pregnant Women

poster abstractBackground: Adverse maternal and infant outcomes can arise from excessive maternal gestational weight gain. Overweight and obese women are most at risk for excessive gestational weight gain. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) has established gestational weight gain ranges for pregnant women based on their pre-pregnancy BMI. Pregnant women’s perceptions of IOM recommendations, however, have not been well documented in the literature. Objective: This study was to explore (1) if pregnant women had received weight gain advice from care providers; (2) preferred weight gain amount by pregnant women and why; and (3) how possible to achieve IOM recommended weight gain. Design: Quantitative and qualitative content analyses were used. Participants: 13 overweight and obese pregnant women (77% African American, 23% were first pregnancy) participated in this study. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted and audio-taped. Quantitative content analysis involved calculating frequencies and percentages. Qualitative content analysis included coding transcribed interviews and identifying common themes from codes. Results: 69% of study participants did not receive weight gain advice from care providers; 54% of the women whose preferred weigh gain was not in accordance with IOM recommendations. Study participants reported two reasons why they chose their preferred weight gain amount: it would be hard to lose extra weight and the weight gain is for the health of the baby. Study participants voiced different levels of confidence in achieving IOM recommended weight gain, from possible to needing support, difficult to stay within the recommended range, out of personal control, and creating additional stress. Conclusions: Findings indicate that missed opportunities from care providers to educate pregnant women about proper weight gain. Although many pregnant women do not want to put on extra pounds, they need education about proper weight gain based on individual BMI status as well as support to help them achieve IOM recommendations

The Indiana University School of Nursing Clinical Faculty Mentoring Initiative: One-Year Outcomes and Lessons Learned

This poster describes the progress and lessons learned as a result of newly implemented Faculty Mentoring Program in the Indiana University School of Nursing

Comparisons in Perceived Importance of and Needs for Maternal Gestational Weight Information Between African American and Caucasian Pregnant Women

This study compared the perceived importance of and needs for maternal gestational weight information between African American and Caucasian pregnant women. A secondary analysis of data from 113 pregnant women (82 African Americans and 31 Caucasians) attending an inner-city prenatal clinic was conducted for this study. Perceived importance of and needs for information were measured in five areas: (1) nutrition, (2) prenatal vitamins, (3) rest/activity balance, (4) exercise, and (5) appropriate weight gain. African American women demonstrated significantly higher perceived importance of and needs for information on rest/activity balance and appropriate weight gain than Caucasian women. Exercise information was rated lower in importance but was most needed by both African American and Caucasian women. Education programs about maternal gestational weight need to be cognizant of ethnic women’s needs

Mentoring Nurse Faculty: Outcomes of a Three-Year Clinical Track Faculty Initiative

Clinical track faculty often lack mentoring opportunities needed to develop their scholarship which may hinder their academic promotion. The Clinical Track Faculty Mentoring Initiative was designed to foster scholarship development and academic promotion of clinical assistant professors. Fifteen clinical assistant professors in two cohorts and their mentors participated in the Initiative. Each Cohort lasted two years with one overlapping year. Participating clinical assistant professors were required to attend five check-in meetings, a summer writing workshop, school and university promotion information sessions, and mentor-protégé meetings. Program outcomes were assessed quarterly and they included knowledge of promotion processes, mentorship quality, scholarship productivity, and academic promotion. Scores on knowledge of promotion processes and perceived mentorship quality among participating clinical assistant professors were significantly increased. Participating clinical assistant professors published, on average, 3.33 papers and delivered 6.4 presentations in two years. The Initiative demonstrated an effective mentoring program that incorporated a multimethod approach with clear program goals, strong systems support, and high mentorship quality

Self-monitoring Lifestyle Behavior in Overweight and Obese Pregnant Women: Qualitative Findings

Background: Excessive maternal gestational weight gain increases pregnancy and infant complications. Self-monitoring has been shown to be an effective strategy in weight management. Literature, however, is limited in describing pregnant women’s engagement in self-monitoring. Aim: This qualitative study explored the experiences of overweight and obese pregnant women who self-monitored their eating, walking, and weight as participants in an intervention for excessive gestational weight gain prevention. Methods: Thirteen overweight and obese pregnant women participated in semistructured interviews. Reflexive iteration data analysis was conducted. Findings: Five themes were identified: making self-monitoring a habit, strategies for self-monitoring, barriers to self-monitoring, benefits of self-monitoring, and drawbacks of self-monitoring. The women viewed self-monitoring as a “habit” that could foster a sense of self-control and mindfulness. Visual or tracing aids were used to maintain the self-monitoring habit. Forgetting, defective tracking aids, complexities of food monitoring, and life events could impede self-monitoring. Being unable to keep up with self-monitoring or to achieve goals created stress. Conclusions: Self-monitoring is a promising approach to weight management for overweight and obese pregnant women. However, healthcare providers should be aware that, although women may identify several benefits to self-monitoring, for some women, consistently trying to track their behaviors is stressful

Non-tenured Track Nursing Faculty Mentoring Initiative

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Engagement design in studies on pregnancy and infant health using social media: Systematic review

Social media utilization is prevalent among reproductive-age women. The literature on how researchers engage women in studies using social media platforms is scarce. This systematic review analyzed participant engagement design in studies using social media and focused on pregnancy and infant health. Methods: A literature search of EBSCO and PubMed databases was conducted. Included studies had to be completed with quantitative data, focus on pregnancy, postpartum or infant health, and use social media in the research process. A matrix of three engagement designs (passive, interactive, independent) and three research processes (recruitment, data analysis, intervention) was used for analysis. Findings: Thirty-one articles that reported 30 studies met the inclusion criteria. Of these, four were randomized controlled trials (RCT), four were non-RCT interventions, and 22 were observational/descriptive studies. The main purpose of using social media was for recruitment (n = 16), data analysis (n = 6), intervention (n = 8), or both recruitment and intervention (n = 1). Passive engagement was a fundamental design approach in all studies to access a data source that was either the participant or the data provided by the participants in social media. Interactive engagement, mostly for recruitment and intervention, was to engage participants in completing study enrollment or in interacting with the study team or fellow participants. Independent engagement involved off-line activities and appeared sporadically in intervention studies. Conclusions: Passive and interactive engagement designs are more frequently used than independent engagement design. Researchers should select suitable designs when studying pregnancy and infant health using social media

Experiences of Nursing Students in Caring for Patients with Behaviors Suggestive of Low Health Literacy: A Qualitative Analysis

Background: Health literacy is the ability to obtain, process, and understand health information in order to take appropriate health actions. Low health literacy is associated with poor health knowledge and self-management of chronic disease, inadequate utilization of preventive services, and increased hospital admissions. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing recommends that nursing schools incorporate health literacy into curricula. Little, however, has been reported about what nursing students have learned and done about health literacy in clinical. This study explored undergraduate nursing students’ experiences in caring for patients with low health literacy. Methods: A qualitative content analysis method was used to analyze 59 narratives written by undergraduate nursing students. Results: Three themes were uncovered: sensing low health literacy by behavioral cues, promoting health literacy with multiple strategies, and closing the health information loop with positive and negative feelings. Noncompliance, knowledge deficits, anxiety/concerns, and language barriers were behavioral cues indicating low health literacy, and these cues triggered the students’ information support actions. Students promoted patient understanding and utilization of information by using many interventions: simplifying information, reinforcing information, giving written information, and demonstration/teach-back. Many students felt good about being able to help increase knowledge and self-care skills of their patients. Some were frustrated because they were unable to promote lifestyle modifications of the patients with complicated chronic diseases. Students, however, did not employ standardized tools to assess the health literacy of the patient or the patient’s knowledge of specific diseases, nor did they assess readability of patient education materials or provide patient empowerment interventions to encourage active information-seeking and participation in self-care. Conclusions: Nursing students could identify behavioral cues suggestive of low health literacy and provide solutions to increase the patient’s health literacy. To enhance student practice, nursing curricula, however, can integrate relevant health literacy assessment tools and empowerment interventions