Control systems engineering for optimizing a prenatal weight gain intervention to regulate infant birth weight

J.S. Savage, D.S. Downs, Y. Dong and D.E. Rivera

American Journal of Public Health, 2014, vol. 104, issue 7, 1247-1254

Abstract: Objectives. We used dynamical systems modeling to describe how a prenatal behavioral intervention that adapts to the needs of each pregnant woman may help manage gestational weight gain and alter the obesogenic intrauterine environment to regulate infant birth weight. Methods. This approach relies on integrating mechanistic energy balance, theory of planned behavior, and self-regulation models to describe how internal processes can be impacted by intervention dosages, and reinforce positive outcomes (e.g., healthy eating and physical activity) to moderate gestational weight gain and affect birth weight. Results. A simulated hypothetical case study from MATLAB with Simulink showed how, in response to our adaptive intervention, self-regulation helps adjust perceived behavioral control. This, in turn, changes the woman's intention and behavior with respect to healthy eating and physical activity during pregnancy, affecting gestational weight gain and infant birth weight. Conclusions. This article demonstrates the potential for real-world applications of an adaptive intervention to manage gestational weight gain and moderate infant birth weight. This model could be expanded to examine the long-term sustainable impacts of an intervention that varies according to the participant's needs on maternal postpartum weight retention and child postnatal eating behavior.

Keywords: article; behavior; birth weight; caloric intake; computer simulation; diet; energy metabolism; exercise; health behavior; human; methodology; prenatal care; psychological model; weight gain, Birth Weight; Computer Simulation; Diet; Energy Intake; Energy Metabolism; Exercise; Health Behavior; Humans; Intention; Models, Psychological; Prenatal Care; Weight Gain (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Downloads: (external link)
http://hdl.handle.net/10.2105/AJPH.2014.301959

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:aph:ajpbhl:10.2105/ajph.2014.301959_7

DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2014.301959

Access Statistics for this article

American Journal of Public Health is currently edited by Alfredo Morabia

More articles in American Journal of Public Health from American Public Health Association
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Christopher F Baum ().