Use of an Online Diet Goal-Setting Tool: Relationships With Gestational Weight Gain

Objectives

To describe (1) the use of a diet goal-setting tool in a self-directed online intervention aimed at promoting a healthy lifestyle, and (2) the association of tool use with gestational weight gain (GWG).

Design

Cross-sectional analysis of data from the intervention group in a randomized effectiveness trial.

Setting

An urban county in the northeastern US.

Participants

A total of 898 healthy pregnant women aged 18–35 years with body mass indexes of (BMI) ≥18.5 and <35; 39.1% were low-income.

Main Outcome Measures

Physical, sociodemographic, and psychosocial characteristics; use of tool features; and GWG.

Analysis

Frequencies, chi-square tests of independence, and regression analysis.

Results

Use of the online dietary tool was 45.1% completed the assessment, 35.3% set a goal, and 22.6% engaged in self-monitoring. Among women with normal BMI, setting ≥2 goals and engaging in self-monitoring were significantly (P < .05) associated with less GWG. Among women with higher BMI, setting ≥2 goals was significantly associated with greater GWG.

Conclusions and Implications

Although online diet goal setting is a potentially effective weight management tool for pregnant women with normal BMI, findings suggest that it may not be for higher-BMI women. Additional research is needed to explain this finding.