From hybrid to fully remote clinical trial amidst the COVID-19 pandemic: Strategies to promote recruitment, retention, and engagement in a randomized mHealth trial.

Clinical trials worldwide were disrupted when the COVID-19 pandemic began in early 2020. Most intervention trials moved to some form of remote implementation due to restrictions on in-person research activities. Although the proportion of remote trials is growing, they remain the vast minority of studies in part due to few successful examples.

Goals for Reaching Optimal Wellness (GROWell): A clinical trial protocol of a digital dietary intervention for pregnant and postpartum people with prenatal overweight or obesity.

Background: Excess gestational weight gain (EGWG) is associated with multiple pregnancy complications and health risks for birthing people and their infants. Likewise, postpartum weight retention (PPWR), or not losing all pregnancy weight, has long-term health consequences. EGWG among people who enter pregnancy with overweight or obesity have worse obstetric outcomes and increased PPWR compared to women who gain within Institute of Medicine guidelines.