Mothers In Motion: Intervention Program To Help Low-Income Mothers Improve Health

But will it?

A Michigan State University nursing researcher has been awarded $3.3 million to help low-income mothers who are overweight or obese improve their health by eating well, being active and dealing with stress.

The intervention program, called Mothers In Motion and funded by the National Institutes of Health, is led by Mei-Wei Chang, a researcher at MSU's College of Nursing. Chang will partner with two community-based programs: the federally funded Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, and MSU Extension.

"More than 52 percent of American women 20 to 39 years old are at risk for having high blood sugar, heart disease and other health conditions because they are overweight or obese," Chang said. "To have a broad impact on obesity in our state, these partners have joined forces to address the underlying issues that cause weight gain in our target audience of young, low-income, overweight and obese mothers."

This Mothers In Motion research will measure how well program participants respond to stress and monitor changes in body weight, blood sugar and some types of fat in the blood. The study will enroll 465 young, low-income overweight and obese mothers 18 to 39 years old from four local WIC programs in the city of Detroit and Calhoun, Genesee and Jackson counties.

Betcha it won't.