Testing the feasibility of a selfmonitoring and -management package (Family app) for pregnant women and determine weight outcomes in the mother and her partner

The Department of Development and Regeneration is the home of academics that focus on stem cell and developmental biology, human reproduction, pre-and postnatal development and growth, and the wide scope of developmental and regenerative medicine. We aim to INTEGRATE multi-disciplinary basic, translational and biomedical research and become an effective platform for conducting premier bench to bed and bed to bench research; to BUILD inter- and transdisciplinary research collaborations within and outside of the department aiming for breakthrough science ; to DEVELOP tertiary and investigational health care, to provide patients with innovative therapies including cell-based therapies and tissue engineered solutions; to PROMOTE patient-centered and patient-driven innovative health care within a broad and topical socio-economic context; to TRAIN scientists in developmental and regenerative medicine and offer top education to prepare the next generation of researchers and clinicians for their role in society and the scientific community. The research at the cluster of Woman & Child deals with both basic, translational and clinical science in women’s, fetus’ and children’s health. REALIFE (REproduction And LIFEstyle for healthier families) is an interdisciplinary research group within the cluster Woman & Child, aiming to enhance the health of future generations and reduce the intergenerational burden of maternal obesity. We develop strategies to effectively improve perinatal lifestyle and wellbeing in mothers, fathers and children.The overall goal of REALIFE is to contribute to a better understanding of the impact of physical and psycho-social health before, during, between and after pregnancies on reproductive outcomes, and to develop approaches that could lead to the early prevention of chronic diseases, both mental and physical, in families. We have the ambition to implement our research into real life, taking into account the specific context of expecting families and in collaboration with non-academic stakeholders. Our research methodology includes randomized controlled lifestyle interventions, longitudinal follow-up studies in women of reproductive age and their families, as well as epidemiological studies. We also use a qualitative approach for a more in depth analysis of the women and families, as well as the healthcare providers’ and policymakers’ perspective.

Prof. dr. Annick Bogaerts is associated Professor of Midwifery Sciences and PI of the REALIFE research group. Both her teaching and research focus on perinatal epidemiology related to maternal and childhood obesity, developing & testing app supported lifestyle interventions in randomized controlled trials including longitudinal follow-up studies.

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Project

This candidate (DC6) will focus on (1) testing the feasibility and acceptability of the multicomponent online HAP3 ‘Self-monitoring and eSelf-management’ package (Family app) intervention for women and (2) on exploring the effects of the HAP3 family app on obesity related outcomes in women and partners during pregnancy and after childbirth. The project will include a multi-country (BE, NL, DE) feasibility randomized controlled trial (RCT). This project will work closely together with two other PhD candidates on the development of a study protocol for the RCT. The candidate for this project (DC6)  will be responsible for recruitment of pregnant women and their partners in Belgium and coordinate data-collection (survey, experience sampling methods (ESM) and intensive measurements such as interviews and anthropometrics) during pregnancy and the post-partum period. The other two candidates (DC7 & 8) are responsible for recruitment and data collection in the Netherlands (VU Amsterdam) and  in Germany (TU Dresden). 

The project will result in  (1) Ethical Approval of local medical ethical committee; (2); Questionnaires and informed consent forms incorporated in HAP3 platform; (3) Data-collection from n= 100 pregnant women and partners (4) 4 scientific papers on 1) the acceptability and feasibility of HAP3 ‘eSelf-monitoring and eSelf-management’ intervention (Family app) in pregnant women, 2) evaluation of primary outcomes related to obesity in mothers and 3) in partners 4. evaluation of secondary outcomes related to obesity in mothers and their partners. 

The candidate’s responsibilities:

• Development and registration of the study protocol;
• Participant recruitment and data-collection;
• Coordination and monitoring of the intervention (Family app);
• Data-management, data-analysis;
• Collaborate with DC7 and DC8 to integrate RCT data from three countries;
• Complete a successful PhD thesis within the project;
• Attend the training workshops, seminars and conferences organized within the HAP3 network;
• Publish in high-impact journals and present findings at conferences.

Internships (secondments) are foreseen at TCD Ireland for training in motivational skills and physical measurements and at SDCA Denmark (https://steno.dk/centres/steno-diabetes-center-aarhus/ ).

Profile

We welcome applications from individuals of any nationality and background, provided they meet the following requirements:

• Applicants must possess a MSc or an equivalent degree in a relevant field such as medicine, midwifery, nursing, psychology, public health, epidemiology, social sciences or a related discipline; or you will obtain this degree before September 30, 2024;
• Applicants must not hold a PhD degree or have successfully defended a PhD.
• Applicants must not have lived or conducted their main activities (work, studies, etc.) in Belgium for more than 12 months within the three years immediately preceding the recruitment date. Exceptions include compulsory national service, short stays such as holidays, and periods spent in the process of obtaining refugee status.
• Applicants must be eligible for enrollment in the PhD program at (KU Leuven) and (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam).
• Applicants must demonstrate a high level of proficiency in both written and spoken English (proof of B2 level or equivalent)
• Applicants must have a strong background in statistical analysis (experience with longitudinal data is a plus) and demonstrated proficiency in using statistical software (e.g., SPSS, R);
• Applicants must have good analytical, writing, and presenting skills;
• Applicants must be eager to learn new things, highly conscientious, flexible, and possess a collaborative attitude.
• As you will work with local stakeholders including pregnant women, partners and other research participants, Dutch language proficiency is highly desirable. 

Offer

Candidates are required to submit their application to the project’s central mail address: info@hap3.eu

Interested?

For more information please contact Prof. dr. Annick Bogaerts, tel.: +32 16 19 31 27, mail: annick.bogaerts@kuleuven.be or Mrs. Alice Cavolo, tel.: +32 16 32 36 88, mail: alice.cavolo@kuleuven.be.

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