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Diet and physical activity in pregnancy to prevent gestational diabetes

Woman sat on exercise mat stretching

Research theme

Women’s metabolic health

People involved

Professor Shakila Thangaratinam

Women's Metabolic Health Theme Lead

Status: Ongoing

Women with gestational diabetes, a condition with high blood sugars diagnosed for the first time in pregnancy, are at increased risk of complications in pregnancy and type 2 diabetes after delivery. Diet and physical activity interventions have the potential to prevent gestational diabetes. However, variations in the population, intervention, and outcome definitions in primary trials have limited the translation of evidence on lifestyle interventions into practice. Individual participant data (IPD) meta-analysis can address these limitations.

Project aims

Using IPD meta-analysis, this study aims to determine whether diet and physical activity based interventions prevent gestational diabetes and its complications, if the benefits vary according to the maternal characteristics and the type of intervention, and whether they are cost-effective, by updating and expanding the NIHR funded i-WIP (International Weight Management in Pregnancy) database.

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