Feasibility and Acceptability of Guided Imagery to Sequentially Address Multiple Health Behaviors During Pregnancy.
Peter Giacobbi, Danielle Symons Downs, Treah Haggerty and 9 others
PMID 34510697WHAT IT FOUND
46 pregnant women used a guided imagery app on 50% or more of days over 5 weeks.
Sleep and relaxation was most used. Some self-reported stress, activity, and body image changed, but there was no control group.
Key findings
01The app was feasible: 46 of 58 women who completed the pre-test finished the intervention, and the 50% usage target was met.
02Sleep and relaxation was the most used file, and 37 of 42 interviewed completers reported positive experiences.
03Pre-post tests showed significant changes in mental health, physical activity, sedentary behavior, body image, and imagery attitudes, but no significant change in trait food cravings.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study had no control group, so pre-post changes cannot be separated from time or pregnancy-related changes. It was designed to test feasibility and acceptability, not whether guided imagery improves health outcomes. Many outcomes were self-reported surveys, and participants knew their app use was being monitored. The sample was small, predominantly white, and educated, so results may not apply to more diverse pregnant women. The app was only available for iOS, limiting who could take part. Usage dropped off after the sleep and relaxation file, and the eat healthy file was least used or least preferred. One post-intervention interview was inaudible, and 3 participants were unclear or ambivalent. Sedentary time increased along with physical activity, which may reflect compensation or pregnancy physiology.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The supplied text does not state a funding source.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that guided imagery treats stress, increases physical activity, reduces cravings, or improves body image in pregnancy. This was a single-arm feasibility study with self-report and no control group, so the pre-post changes cannot be attributed to the intervention.