Providence, RI and East Providence, RI — A research team from The Miriam and Bradley hospitals will compare approaches to reduce post-partum diabetes, including the integration of medically tailored meals, as part of a $10 million multi-state study.
Healthy Moms/Mamis Saludables a Partnership to Prevent Maternal Diabetes in U.S. Home Visiting Programs study will compare approaches to reduce the risk of Type 2 Diabetes in postpartum women who experienced gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). This initiative will explore the integration of medically tailored meals into evidence-based home visiting programs, a first-of-its-kind approach to addressing maternal health disparities.
Rena Wing, PhD, director of The Weight Control and Diabetes Research Center at The Miriam Hospital is one of the Principal Investigators on the study and Stephanie Parade, PhD, director of early childhood research at Bradley Hospital is a co-investigator for the Brown University Health study site.
“Home visiting is not just a service; it’s a lifeline. These programs provide essential support, guidance, and reassurance during a highly stressful time for mothers and their families,” said Parade. “Supporting mothers with gestational diabetes will help us to further demonstrate the many important ways that home visiting combats racial and ethnic disparities in healthcare.”
“Maternal diabetes disproportionately affects women from food-insecure and socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds,” said Wing. “Medically tailored meals could be an effective intervention for mothers with gestational diabetes and their children that will have lasting benefits throughout their lives.”
Funded by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo will be the lead study site; the study also will involve investigators from Northwestern University. PCORI is an independent nonprofit organization authorized by Congress with a mission to fund patient-centered comparative clinical effectiveness research.
In partnership with evidence-based home visiting and other research partners, the study will involve nearly 1,000 perinatal adults nationwide from three clinical centers serving the West, Mideast/South, and Eastern regions of the U.S. In home visiting, trained professionals, such as nurses, parent professionals, or community health workers, offer pregnant and postpartum families personalized health education, support, and connection to healthcare and community resources.
Participants in this study will have or have had gestational diabetes, a condition that occurs when high blood sugar levels develop during pregnancy. Gestational diabetes can lead to Type 2 diabetes, a chronic and debilitating condition. Diabetes is a leading cause of death and disability in the United States, linked to heart disease, kidney failure, and other severe complications. However, Type 2 diabetes is often preventable through healthy eating, weight management, and physical activity—making interventions like this study essential.
“The rise in gestational diabetes is concerning for public health and increases adverse health effects both to the mother and the baby. This funding will help examine root causes and develop solutions to improve patient outcomes and deliver more cost-effective treatment,” said Sen. Jack Reed.
“Brown University Health works every day to help Rhode Islanders lead longer, healthier lives,” said Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse. “This investment will support Miriam and Bradley’s innovative research on integrating healthy meals into home visits to reduce health disparities and ensure families are supported from the start.”
“Our country is experiencing a maternal health crisis, and we need to do our part to ensure every mom gets the care and support she needs,” said Rep. Seth Magaziner. “I am proud to have advocated for this funding, along with my colleagues in the congressional delegation, to combat health disparities and ensure mothers and their children in Rhode Island can live healthy lives.”
“As we work to close racial gaps in health outcomes, I’m heartened that researchers at Brown Health will receive a $10 million funding award from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute,” said Rep. Gabe Amo. “This funding will help further our understanding of maternal diabetes and assist with our shared efforts to support healthy moms across our state and country.”
This study was selected through PCORI’s highly competitive review process in which patients, caregivers and other stakeholders join scientists to evaluate proposals. The award to Cal Poly has been approved pending completion of PCORI’s business and programmatic review and issuance of a formal award contract.