In China, about 53.4 million women (11%) have type 2 diabetes (T2DM). Women with prior 2 (GDM) are at a high risk for T2DM. Postpartum lifestyle interventions have been effective in reducing T2DM for this population, but the evidence is limited to interventions provided in urban areas, despite the fact that a higher prevalence of undiagnosed T2DM was found in rural areas in China. The primary purpose of this proposed study is to examine the effect of a postpartum intensive lifestyle modification (ILSM) program on physiological health outcomes (T2DM development, insulin resistance, and weight-related variables), weight-related health behaviors (dietary intake and physical activity), and psychosocial outcomes (self-efficacy, perceived stress, social support, and health-related quality of life) compared to usual care at 3, 6, and 18 months post baseline assessment. The secondary outcomes are to identify potential mediators and moderators on change of physiological health outcomes. A multi-site randomized clinical trial (RCT) will be conducted to examine the efficacy of an evidence-based Intensive Lifestyle Modification (ILSM) program compared with usual care for women with prior GDM living in rural areas in China. A total sample of 256 participants will be recruited in the study. The intervention consists of six bi-weekly in-person group sessions, five bi-weekly telephone consultation sessions, and three monthly telephone consultations to encourage behavior change. The usual care provided to the control group will utilize current clinical guideline and recommendations for T2DM prevention. Outcome measures include physiological variables (OGTT-2 h, HbA1c, weight, and waist circumference); weight-related health behavioral (dietary intake and physical activities); and psychosocial variables (self-efficacy and social support) at 3-, 6- and 18- month after baseline. We will also assess the potential cost-effectiveness of ILSM (net cost per T2DM case and per DALY averted) compared with usual care. If successful, this ILSM program can be adapted and used in rural areas as a blueprint for clinical guidelines to decrease T2DM by improving postpartum GDM care in China. Findings of this study are expected to make a significant contribution to public health practice and health policy related to T2DM prevention in China. Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR1800015023 . Registered 1 March 2018 - Retrospectively registered, http://apps.who.int/trialsearch/default.aspx .

The perceived risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) can motivate individuals to adopt preventive health behaviors. Compared with fathers, mothers of young children often experience unique risk factors for developing T2DM: pregnancy-related weight gain, lifestyle changes related to child care, and the increased incidence of gestational diabetes mellitus. Understanding how actual risk factors affect the perceived risk of developing T2DM can foster effective diabetes prevention interventions for this population. The aims of this study were to describe the risk, perceived and actual, of developing T2DM and to explore the influencing factors of perceived risk for Chinese mothers of preschool children in China. A multisite, cross-sectional survey was conducted and included 176 mothers (mean age of 31.19 years old) of preschool children (aged 3–7 years old) from four preschools in Changsha, the capital city of Hunan Province, China. The overall perceived risk of developing T2DM was measured by one item “Your own personal health risk is at almost no risk, slight risk, moderate risk or high risk from diabetes” from the Risk Perception Survey for Developing Diabetes (RPS-DD). PRS-DD and the Chinese version of the Canadian Diabetes Risk Assessment Questionnaire (CHINARISK) were used to assess perceived risk related worry, personal control, optimistic bias, and diabetes risk knowledge and actual risk of T2DM. Mothers also reported their height, weight, and waist circumference followed by the NIH protocol. Pearson correlation and stepwise multivariate linear regression were used to explore how the actual risk factors affected the perceived risk of developing diabetes (RPS-DD)). Nearly 90% of mothers perceived almost no/slight risk for developing diabetes. Nearly half of the mothers had parents or siblings with diabetes. Roughly 70% of the mothers did not eat five servings of fruits and vegetables per day, and more than 50% did not exercise at least 30 minutes a day. In the five stepwise multivariate linear regression models, young mothers (95% CI .400–1.311) and those with a family history of diabetes (95% CI -0.74- .000) were founded a higher overall perceived risk. Mothers who reported more sedentary time (95% CI -0.029- -0.008) and less physical activity had less personal control (95% CI -0.354- -0.046). Mothers with more sedentary time had more worries about developing T2DM(95% CI 0.008–0.035) . Mothers who were older (95% CI -0.440–0.055) or had more physical activities (95% CI 0.003–0.048) had more optimistic bias of not developing T2DM. Mothers who had a higher education level (95% CI .354–1.422) and a family history of diabetes (95% CI .029–2.231) had more diabetes risk knowledge of developing T2DM. This study found that Chinese mothers of preschool children in urban areas reported low perceived risk of developing T2DM, although they have actual risk factors. These women did not associate anthropometric, health history, or health behavior factors with the risk of developing T2DM. Anthropometrics and risk factors associated with behavioral risk factors may be the focus of diabetes prevention programs.

Aim: To synthesize evidence on approaches used in the co-design of maternal and early childhood primary care interventions with structurally marginalized populations. Background: Involving end-users when developing health interventions can enhance outcomes. There is limited knowledge on how to effectively engage structurally marginalized populations (i.e., groups that are affected by structural inequities resulting in a disproportionate burden of social exclusion and poor health) when co-designing maternal child primary care interventions. Methods: A rapid scoping review was conducted by searching EMBASE and CINAHL for studies indexed between January 2010 and December 2024. Peer-reviewed studies describing co-designed health interventions or services tailored to structurally marginalized populations during prenatal, postpartum, or early childhood periods were included if they reported on one or multiple steps of a co-design process in community-based primary care practices in high-income countries. Findings: Of the 5970 records that were screened, nine studies met the inclusion criteria. The co-designed interventions included three eHealth tools, a health- and social-care hub, a mental health service, a health literacy program, an antenatal care uptake intervention, an inventory of parenting support strategies, and a fetal alcohol spectrum disorder prevention campaign. Women, mothers, fathers, and health- and social-service providers contributed to the co-design process by participating in workshops, focus groups, individual interviews, or surveys. They provided feedback on intervention prototypes, existing resources, and new intervention designs or practice models. Ethical and practical considerations related to the population and context (e.g., marginalization) were not consistently addressed. Conclusion: This synthesis on intervention co-design approaches with structurally marginalized populations can provide guidance for primary care organizations that are considering maternal child health intervention co-design with this clientele. Future work should include a critical reflection on the ethical and practical considerations for co-design with structurally marginalized populations in the context of maternal and early child care.

Introduction: Neighborhood determinants of health have been documented in several populations, yet less is known about their role in pediatric obesity treatment. A systematic review of longitudinal studies examining associations between neighborhood environment features and changes in obesity and in lifestyle behaviors among children participating in obesity management interventions was conducted. Methods: Searches were conducted in Medline, Embase, CINAHL, and Web of Science for peer‐reviewed articles published in English from database inception until April 2025. We included studies of children with overweight/obesity at baseline, participating in multicomponent obesity management interventions, and with at least one pre‐ and one post‐intervention measurement of obesity or lifestyle behaviors. Results: Of the 27,310 records screened, six met inclusion criteria. Studies were conducted in the United States ( n = 5) and United Kingdom ( n = 1), with participants' age ranging from 6 to 18 years, and a total of 13,364 participants. Studies examined availability of parks ( n = 3), supermarkets ( n = 2), greenspaces ( n = 1), walkability ( n = 1), recreational facilities ( n = 1), and neighborhood deprivation ( n = 1). Residing in neighborhoods with more parks was associated with greater reductions in post‐intervention body mass index in two studies. Inconsistent findings relating availability of supermarkets to changes in fruit and vegetable intake were reported. Residing in neighborhoods with more recreational facilities was associated with increases in objectively measured physical activity but not with self‐reported screen time. Conclusion: Findings among the few studies that examined neighborhood determinants of obesity management outcomes among children were inconsistent. Neighborhood resources that support physical activity (parks, recreational facilities) may be associated with better outcomes.

Background: The purpose of this study was to describe the status of abnormal glucose tolerance with a longer duration after delivery among women with prior gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in a rural community of China, and to explore the influence of socio-demographic factors, GDM-related factors (family history of diabetes, number of children, receipt of treatment for GDM), psychosocial factors (perceived stress, self-efficacy, and social support), lifestyle behaviors (physical activity, sedentary activity, fruit or vegetables intake), and obesity indicators (body mass index and waist circumferences) on abnormal glucose tolerance. Patients and Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive survey was conducted among women with prior GDM in two county-level hospitals in Western and Eastern Hunan, China from November 2017 to June 2018. Under the guidance of life course theory, data were collected using self-report measures of socio-demographic and GDM-related factors as well as psychosocial factors (perceived stress, self-efficacy, and social support) and postpartum lifestyle behaviors (physical activity, sedentary activity, and fruit and vegetable intake). Additionally, a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test was conducted, and weight, height, and waist circumference were measured on site. Results: A total of 425 women were included in this study, with an average postpartum duration of 18.04 months. Of these women, 20.9% had abnormal glucose tolerance (AGT). A multivariate analysis indicated that the proportion of abnormal glucose tolerance increased with increased age (OR = 2.13; 1.27– 3.57, p=0.004), ethnic minority (OR: 1.62, 95% CI: 0.96– 2.72, p=0.069), lower educational levels (OR:0.58, 95% CI: 0.33– 1.02, p=0.057), receipt of treatment for GDM during pregnancy (OR =1.93; 1.11– 3.37, p=0.020) and larger waist circumference (OR = 1.08; 1.05– 1.12, p=0.000). Conclusion: More than one-fifth of the women with GDM in rural China had progression to AGT. More postpartum programs aimed at reducing waist circumference are warranted to delay or prevent progression to type 2 diabetes mellitus for rural Chinese women with prior GDM.