Women’s health and lifestyle behaviours

We are investigating the benefits of lifestyle interventions during pregnancy and postnatally.

The prevalence of obesity in women continues to rise and pregnancy is a high-risk time for excessive weight gain.

The fact that most women do not lose extra weight gained during pregnancy is significant because postnatal weight retention contributes to the development of obesity in later life and increases the risk of complications in any future pregnancy.

Our research is investigating innovative solutions to delivering physical activity and weight management interventions at scale, to women across the lifespan, to reduce their risk of future disease and ill health.

Theme lead

Amanda Daley

Professor Amanda Daley

Professor of Behavioural Medicine, Centre Director

Research spotlights

Losing weight after having a baby

Postnatal weight loss support at child immunisations

Device-measured physical activity in pregnant women

2023

  • Alosaimi N, Sherar LB, Griffiths P, Pearson N. Clustering of diet, physical activity and sedentary behaviour and related physical and mental health outcomes: a systematic review. BMC Public Health, 2023. DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-16372-6

  • Plekhanova T, Crawley E, Davies MJ, Gorely T, Harrington DM, Ioannidou E, Khunti K, Rowlands AV, Sherar LB, Yates T, Edwardson CL. Association between Chronotype and Physical Behaviours in Adolescent Girls. Children (Basel), 2023. DOI: 10.3390/children10050819

     

2022

  • Sharp KJ, Sherar LB, Kettle VE et al. Effectiveness of interventions to increase device-measured physical activity in pregnant women: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act, 2022. DOI: 10.1186/s12966-022-01379-w

  • Jones C, Gibbons M, Magsamen-Conrad K, Ulanday KT, Watterson J, Oakley-Girvan I, Houghton LC, Gokal K. Mother's Health and Well-Being Matters: Is a Mediated Social Cohesion Public Health Intervention Feasible? American journal of health promotion, 2022. DOI: 10.1177/08901171211055317

2021

  • Tyldesley-Marshall N, Greenfield SM, Parretti HM, Jolly K, Jebb S, Daley AJ. The experiences of postnatal women and healthcare professionals of a brief weight management intervention embedded within the national child immunisation programme. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth, 2021. DOI: 10.1186/s12884-021-03905-3.

  • Daley AJ, Jolly K, Ives N, Jebb SA, Tearne S, Greenfield SM, Yardley L, Little P, Tyldesley-Marshall N, Bensoussane H, Pritchett RV, Frew E, Parretti HM. Practice nurse-supported weight self-management delivered within the national child immunisation programme for postnatal women: a feasibility cluster RCT. Health Technol Assess, 2021. DOI: 10.3310/hta25490.

  • Tudor K, Tearne S, Jebb SA, Lewis A, Adab P, Begh R, Jolly K, Daley AJ, Farley A, Lycett D, Nickless A, Aveyard P. Gender differences in response to an opportunistic brief intervention for obesity in primary care: Data from the BWeL trial. Clin Obes, 2021. DOI: 10.1111/cob.12418

  • Daley AJ, Jolly K, Ives N, Jebb SA, Tearne S, Greenfield SM, Yardley L, Little P, Tyldesley-Marshall N, Bensoussane H, Pritchett RV, Frew E, Parretti HM. Practice nurse-supported weight self-management delivered within the national child immunisation programme for postnatal women: a feasibility cluster RCT. Health Technol Assess, 2021. DOI: 10.3310/hta25490

  • Tyldesley-Marshall N, Greenfield SM, Parretti HM, Jolly K, Jebb S, Daley AJ. The experiences of postnatal women and healthcare professionals of a brief weight management intervention embedded within the national child immunisation programme. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth, 2021. DOI: 10.1186/s12884-021-03905-3

2020

  • Daley AJ, Jolly K, Bensoussane H, Ives N, Jebb SA, Tearne S, Greenfield SM, Yardley L, Little P, Tyldesley-Marshall N, Pritchett RV, Frew E, Parretti HM. Feasibility and acceptability of a brief routine weight management intervention for postnatal women embedded within the national child immunisation programme in primary care: randomised controlled cluster feasibility trial. Trials, 2020. DOI: 10.1186/s13063-020-04673-9

  • Thomas A, Daley AJ. Women's views about physical activity as a treatment for vasomotor menopausal symptoms: a qualitative study. BMC Women’s Health, 2020. DOI: 10.1186/s12905-020-01063-w 

  • Pearce E, Jolly K, Jones LL, Matthewman G, Zanganeh M, Daley AJ. Exercise for premenstrual syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. BJGP Open, 2020. DOI: 10.3399/bjgpopen20X101032

  • Parretti HM, Ives NJ, Tearne S, Vince A, Greenfield SM, Jolly K, Jebb SA, Frew E, Yardley L, Little P, Pritchett RV, Daley A. Protocol for the feasibility and acceptability of a brief routine weight management intervention for postnatal women embedded within the national child immunisation programme: randomised controlled cluster feasibility trial with nested qualitative study (PIMMS-WL). BMJ Open, 2020. DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2019-033027

Women and dieting

  • Evaluation of a weight management intervention for postnatal women embedded within child immunisation appointments in primary care (PIMMS). Funded by NIHR. Led by Amanda Daley.