Healthy conversation skills as an intervention to support healthy gestational weight gain: Experience and perceptions from intervention deliverers and participants

OBJECTIVE: In a pilot RCT we assessed training a dietitian in "Healthy Conversation Skills" (HCS) to support behavior change. This study describes the acceptability of the intervention from the participant and practitioner perspective.

METHODS: Seventy pregnant women participated (intervention = 33; control = 37). The evaluation included: i)audio-recording sessions to assess use of HCS from the intervention dietitian; ii)semi-structured interview with the intervention dietitian to assess experiences of using HCS; iii)Quality of Prenatal Care Questionnaire and focus groups to assess participants' views of study experience.

RESULTS: Intervention sessions involved conversations where the dietitian used HCS. The dietitian reflected on the simplicity of learning HCS in training but the challenges of embedding these new skills in practice and highlighted the need to review and reflect on practice as an ongoing process. Intervention participants were more satisfied with the study (p = 0.05) and more likely to agree that the dietitian took time to ask about things that were important to them (p = 0.04) than control participants.

CONCLUSION: Use of HCS by practitioners is an acceptable way to support lifestyle changes in pregnancy.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Use of HCS provide opportunities to support behaviour change. Review of and reflecting on practice may facilitate the application of new skills in practice.