Helping mothers manage weight during and after pregnancy
Official title: Promoting healthy weight across the pregnancy and postpartum period through dissemination of an evidence based intervention
Funded at Washington University · NIH-10583554 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is all about helping pregnant women and new moms manage their weight in a healthy way through a friendly program called EMPOWER, which includes home visits from supportive educators.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Washington University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Saint Louis, United States) |
| Project start | June 1, 2019 |
| Project end | March 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2023 |
| Award (this year) | $570,537 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DK121475-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-10583554 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are pregnant women or new mothers who are experiencing overweight or obesity.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who are not pregnant or who do not have concerns about weight management during pregnancy may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research focuses on supporting women during pregnancy and the postpartum period to manage their weight effectively. It involves a lifestyle modification program called EMPOWER, which is integrated into home visits provided by Parents as Teachers, a community organization. The program aims to prevent excessive weight gain during pregnancy and help mothers retain less weight after childbirth. By training parent educators at various sites, the research seeks to evaluate the program's effectiveness across a wide population of mothers with overweight and obesity.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to healthier weight management for mothers, reducing the risk of obesity and related health issues.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown success with similar lifestyle intervention programs aimed at weight management during pregnancy.
Where this research is happening
-
Washington University
Saint Louis, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Haire-Joshu, Debra — Washington University
- Study coordinator: Haire-Joshu, Debra
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.