Development of an m-health physical activity application promoting glycemic control in women with gestational diabetes.

Background: Regular physical activity (PA) is part of GDM management, but most women are not sufficiently active. In Quebec (Canada), qualified exercise professionals are rarely included in medical teams caring for GDM women. It is therefore essential to find a way to support women towards a more active lifestyle, without adding to the burden of patient care by clinicians. Nowadays, more lifestyle interventions are moving from traditional patient–provider encounters to digital platforms. The use of computer-tailoring technology, combined with proven theory-based interventions is of particular interest. Purpose: To develop a m-health application to promote PA and glycemic control in women with GDM. Methods: Co-construction phase: 1) Focus groups were conducted with end-users (i.e., GDM women and clinicians) to gather their needs, expectations, and preferences regarding various aspects of the application and to identify best strategies to ensure users’ engagement. 2) The content of the application was developed. Briefly, the theoretical underpinnings for the intervention’s development were derived from the “multi-process action control model”, which is a framework created as a practical approach to PA promotion based on theoretical and empirical evidence. 3) The content and format of the application were validated by end-users. Proof-of-concept phase: 1) The use of the application will be tested in a clinical setting to assess a) feasibility; b) impact on PA and glycemic control (preliminary analyses). Conclusion and practical implications: This project will respond to a need raised by GDM women and clinicians by offering them a tool to support motivation and empowerment towards PA and glycemic control. This will improve the care and services offered to patients. Funding/Parteners: Diabète Québec, Fondation Santé Trois-Rivières, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières Research chair in prenatal physical activity and maternal and neonatal health; Ikigai Développement Inc.; Réseau de recherche sur la santé cardiométabolique, le diabète et l’obésité.