Self-efficacy and autonomous motivation are associated with lower sugar-sweetened beverage consumption in low-income overweight and obese mothers of young children.

Sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption is strongly associated with obesity. Autonomous motivation and self-efficacy, key concepts of self-determination theory, may influence SSB consumption. Low-income mothers of young children experience disproportionate rates of obesity. Whether autonomous motivation and self-efficacy are associated with SSB consumption in low-income mothers of young children is unknown. This exploratory secondary data analysis explored whether autonomous motivation or self-efficacy were associated with SBB consumption using data from a lifestyle intervention for low-income, overweight or obese mothers with young children. Participants (N = 311) completed surveys assessing autonomous motivation, self-efficacy, and SSB consumption at baseline, after the 16-week intervention, and at 3-month follow-up. Using baseline data, we performed linear regression models to explore associations of self-efficacy and autonomous motivation with SSB consumption. We also performed mixed effects models to explore whether autonomous motivation or self-efficacy were associated with SSB consumption over time. At baseline, a one-point increase in autonomous motivation and self-efficacy were associated with 4.36 (p < 0.001) and 6.43 (p = 0.025) fewer ounces of SSB consumption per day, respectively. In longitudinal models, SSB consumption decreased over time. Change in SSB consumption was associated with self-efficacy (B = -4.88; p = 0.015) and autonomous motivation (B = -2.29; p = 0.008). Our findings suggest self-efficacy and autonomous motivation may influence SSB consumption among mothers of young children with overweight and obesity. Further investigation should explore if self-efficacy and autonomous motivation have long-term effects on SSB consumption.

Inflammatory markers are elevated in early pregnancy, but not late pregnancy, in women with overweight and obesity that later develop preeclampsia.

PROBLEM: Obesity and preeclampsia both involve a pathological inflammatory response, which may be how obesity increases preeclampsia risk. Previous studies have failed to assess robust measurements of inflammatory markers across gestation, specifically in overweight/ obese women in the context of preeclampsia. METHOD OF STUDY: We measured 20 inflammatory markers in plasma via multiplex assay (ThermoFisher Inflammation 20 plex Human ProcartaPlex Panel) across the three trimesters of pregnancy in an existing cohort of overweight and obese women who developed preeclampsia (n = 37) and without preeclampsia (n = 74). Mann-Whitney U tests examined differences in inflammatory marker concentrations between cases and controls. Repeated measures ANOVA tests were used to explore differences in inflammatory marker concentrations over time within cases and controls. RESULTS: Pro-inflammatory markers (IL-1α, IL-1ß, IL-6, IFN-α, IFN-γ, GM-CSF, IL-12p70, IL-17α, TNF-α, IL-8) and anti-inflammatory markers (IL-4, IL-10, IL-13) were higher in the first and second trimester in participants who later developed preeclampsia compared to those who did not (p < .05). Only TNF-α and IL-8 remained elevated in the third trimester. Inflammatory markers did not change across pregnancy in preeclampsia cases but did increase across pregnancy in controls. CONCLUSION: Our findings diverge from prior studies, predominantly of non-obese women, that report lower circulating concentrations of anti-inflammatory cytokines in preeclampsia versus normotensive pregnancy, particularly by late pregnancy. We posit that women with overweight and obesity who develop preeclampsia entered pregnancy with a heightened pro-inflammatory state likely related to obesity, which increased risk for preeclampsia. Further studies are needed to investigate if inflammatory maker profiles differ between obese and non-obese women.