Professor Lisa Chasan-Taber of the University of Massachusetts School of Public Health and Health Sciences has received a $3.2 million grant from the National Institute of Health’s National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive Kidney Diseases to help Hispanic women in western Massachusetts maintain a healthy weight during and after pregnancy.

“Hispanic women are the fastest growing minority group in the United States and are more likely to begin their pregnancies overweight or obese compared to other women, which means they have a higher risk of additional weight gain during pregnancy and associated long-term health problems, such as diabetes,” said epidemiologist Chasan-Taber in a UMass release. She will use individual coaching and support to help the women avoid obesity and develop a healthy lifestyle.

“Hispanic women face specific social, cultural and economic challenges that put them at greater risk,” Chasan-Taber added. “Pregnancy is a critical time for women, affecting their health for years after the birth of their child. Our study seeks to help them learn new skills tailored to their own lives and to move forward with a healthy, active lifestyle.”

The professor and a team of bicultural, bilingual health educators will recruit 300 overweight Hispanic women, according to the release, and then place them into either a wellness group or lifestyle intervention group.

Women in the lifestyle group will be counseled during pregnancy in order to find the best way for them to increase exercise and adjust their eating habits in order to obtain a healthy weight. Every woman will receive a personally tailored plan to fit their needs so that they can lose weight in a way that fits their lifestyle.

Participants in the program will have their physical activity monitored throughout the study by a sensor worn on their wrist. The women will also be monitored for signs of cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

Counseling will be offered to the women for 12 weeks during their pregnancy, and then for six weeks to six months following the birth of their child, with follow-ups continuing until one year after they give birth. These follow-ups will allow Chasan-Taber and her team to evaluate each subject’s success in obtaining a healthy weight as well as their risk for cardiovascular disease and diabetes. The study will also let researchers evaluate the child’s risk for obesity-related diseases and problems.

According to the UMass press release, success in this study could mean nationwide results for minority women achieving healthier weights and reducing long-term healthcare costs.

Partners on this project include UMass kinesiologist and diabetes-and-exercise expert Barry Braun, and biostatisticians Penelope Pekow and Edward Stanek. Other institutional partners in the health-promotion grant are Baystate Medical Center, UMass Lowell and the University of California, San Diego.