Effectiveness of Nutrition Counseling on Gestational Weight Gain Among Overweight and Obese Pregnant Women in Lebanon

NCT07279337 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: LIUIRB-200706-JR1
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 60
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

A high percentage of women are either overweight or obese before pregnancy and many women are exceeding the gestational weight gain recommendations when pregnant. Excessive gestational weight gain increases the risk of maternal and fetal complications. To help with this, women need to be advised about the appropriate weight gain recommendation according to their pre-pregnancy body weight. One way to do this is by receiving dietary and lifestyle advices during prenatal visits. This study will contribute to knowledge that will inform dietary guidelines and public policy on how to manage gestational weight gain and thus improve maternal and fetal outcomes.

Conditions

Overweight and Obesity During Pregnancy

Keywords

Nutrition, pregnancy, obesity, dietary intervention, gestational weight gain

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Gestational weight gain

  Total weight gained during pregnancy

  6-8 months period

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• adherence to IOM weight gain guidelines

  1 month

Study Arms (2)

nutrition counseling provided by licensed dietitians

EXPERIMENTAL

The intervention group participated in an initial 30-60-minute nutrition counseling session with a registered dietitian during the first trimester. Counseling emphasized balanced nutrition, limiting added sugars and unhealthy fats, and promoting whole foods. Individualized weight gain targets were set based on Institute of Medicine (IOM) guidelines of 2009: 6.8-11.4 kg for overweight women and 5-9 kg for women with obesity. Participants were also advised to engage in 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per week, as recommended by health guidelines. Follow-ups were conducted every 10-15 days via smartphone applications (e.g., WhatsApp, Zoom) with an average of 14 nutrition follow-ups throughout the intervention. The follow-ups were utilizing asynchronous telehealth platform that was secure and user-friendly.

Behavioral: Intervention group that received detailed nutrition assessment, counseling, and monitoring

Control group

NO INTERVENTION

Usual prenatal care

Interventions

Intervention group that received detailed nutrition assessment, counseling, and monitoring BEHAVIORAL

The intervention group participated in an initial 30-60-minute nutrition counseling session with a registered dietitian during the first trimester. Counseling emphasized balanced nutrition, limiting added sugars and unhealthy fats, and promoting whole foods. Individualized weight gain targets were set based on Institute of Medicine (IOM) guidelines of 2009: 6.8-11.4 kg for overweight women and 5-9 kg for women with obesity. Participants were also advised to engage in 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per week, as recommended by health guidelines. Follow-ups were conducted every 10-15 days via smartphone applications (e.g., WhatsApp, Zoom) with an average of 14 nutrition follow-ups throughout the intervention. The follow-ups were utilizing asynchronous telehealth platform that was secure

nutrition counseling provided by licensed dietitians

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 44 Years
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• In their first trimester of pregnancy
• With a pre-pregnancy Body Mass Index (BMI) ranging from 25 to 35 kg/m², classifying them as overweight or obese.
• Women were required to be attending regular prenatal care visits at randomly selected gynecology clinics
• The ability and willingness to meet with a licensed dietitian for individualized counseling.
• Commitment to follow the recommended nutrition and physical activity guidelines throughout the duration of the study

You may not qualify if:

• Contraindications to exercise
• Medical conditions such as uncontrolled hypertension, insulin-dependent diabetes, uncontrolled thyroid disease, multiple gestation, persistent bleeding in the first trimester
• History of recurrent miscarriages.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Nicosia: lead

Study Sites (1)

Lebanese International University

Beirut, Lebanon

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Overweight; Obesity; Gestational Weight Gain

Interventions

Counseling

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Overnutrition; Nutrition Disorders; Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases; Body Weight; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Weight Gain; Body Weight Changes

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Mental Health Services; Behavioral Disciplines and Activities; Community Health Services; Health Services; Health Care Facilities Workforce and Services

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: PREVENTION
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: University instructor and dietitian

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: November 30, 2025
• First Posted: December 12, 2025
• Study Start: February 1, 2021
• Primary Completion: March 20, 2022
• Study Completion: June 20, 2023
• Last Updated: December 12, 2025

Record last verified: 2021-02

Locations

LE (1)