Healthy Eating in Women at Risk of Gestational Diabetes (SAGE)

September 2, 2025 updated by: Anne-Sophie Morisset, CHU de Quebec-Universite Laval

Promoting Healthy Eating in Early Pregnancy in Women at Risk of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: Does it Improve Glucose Homeostasis?

Healthy eating during pregnancy has favorable effects on markers related to diabetes (glucose tolerance) and is associated with lower gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) risk. The cornerstone of GDM treatment is nutrition therapy but the latter often starts late in pregnancy and thus may not have the expected effects on glucose tolerance. What if an intervention promoting healthy eating was initiated at the beginning of pregnancy in all women at risk, would it improve glucose homeostasis? To answer this important question, the investigators will perform a randomized controlled trial in 150 pregnant women. Women receiving the nutritional intervention will be compared to a control group receiving standard care. The nutritional intervention, which will start in the first trimester, is based on the 2019 Canada's Food Guide and is composed of 4 individual sessions with a registered dietitian (12, 18, 24 and 30 weeks). Between those follow-ups, informative nutritional web capsules and phone calls with the registered dietitian will be provided. To ensure that the women remain motivated and receive social support, a private Facebook group will be used. The investigators hypothesize that the nutritional intervention will be effective at improving glucose homeostasis. The investigators expect the results will show the importance of nutritional care starting early in pregnancy in women at risk of GDM.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Active, not recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

Individuals will participate in three on-site research visits during which a 2-hour oral glucose tolerance test will be performed. At each of these trimesters and 3 months after the delivery, participants will also complete three validated web-based 24-h recalls from which diet quality will be assessed. Subjects will be randomized to two arms after the first oral glucose tolerance test at the first visit. For all participants, on-site follow-ups by the research team will occur at each trimester and 1 virtual follow-up will be done 3 months after delivery for both groups. The total duration of participation for all is approximately 9 months.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
150

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Canada
    • Quebec
      • Québec, Quebec, Canada, G1V 4G2
        • CHU de Quebec-Universite Laval

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • ≤ 14 gestational weeks;
  • Singleton pregnancy;
  • At risk of GDM According to Diabetes Canada (being 35 years of age or older or from a high-risk group (African, Arab, Asian, Hispanic, Indigenous, or South Asian) or having a BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2, prediabetes, GDM in a previous pregnancy, given birth to a baby that weighed more than 4 kg, a parent, brother or sister with type 2 diabetes, polycystic ovary syndrome or acanthosis nigricans (darkened patches of skin).

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Having a diabetes diagnosis in the 1st trimester;
  • Pre-existing diabetes mellitus;
  • Diseases requiring active nutritional treatment or influencing glucose metabolism (including previous bariatric surgery);
  • Taking part in a nutritional intervention program;
  • Corticosteroid use;
  • Previous or current diagnosis of an eating disorder;
  • Inability to give informed consent;
  • Inability to communicate in French.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Prevention
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Nutritional Intervention
Intervention promoting healthy eating by a Registered Dietitian.
Behavioral: Nutritional Intervention
4 individual 1-hour in person (or virtual, according to potential public health restrictions and patients' preference) motivational interviews (12, 18, 24 and 30 weeks) with a registered dietitian will be conducted to elaborate S.M.A.R.T. (Specific,Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Timely) goals regarding diet, based on the 2019 Canada's Food Guide. Between those individual follow-ups, 4 phone calls with the registered dietitian will be provided (15, 21, 27, 33 weeks). Throughout the study, 10 informative nutritional video clips will also be provided. Participants receiving the intervention will have access to an online Facebook private community to discuss and share experiences, thus maintaining motivation and providing social support.
No Intervention: Standard Care
Women will have their usual medical pregnancy follow-ups by their MDs without access to nutritional care.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Fasting plasma glucose
Time Frame: Changes from the 1st to the 3rd trimester
Measured after a 12-hour fast.
Changes from the 1st to the 3rd trimester

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Post-prandial plasma glucose
Time Frame: Changes from the 1st to the 3rd trimester
Measured 60 and 120 minutes during a 2-hour Oral Glucose Tolerance Test
Changes from the 1st to the 3rd trimester
Glycemic response
Time Frame: Changes from the 1st to the 3rd trimester
Using incremental area under the curve for the blood glucose during a 2-hour Oral Glucose Tolerance Test
Changes from the 1st to the 3rd trimester
Hepatic insulin sensitivity
Time Frame: Changes from the 1st to the 3rd trimester
Homeostasis Model Assessment of Insulin Sensibility
Changes from the 1st to the 3rd trimester
Hepatic and peripheral insulin sensitivity index
Time Frame: Changes from the 1st to the 3rd trimester
Matsuda index
Changes from the 1st to the 3rd trimester
Beta-cell function index
Time Frame: Changes from the 1st to the 3rd trimester
Disposition index: Matsuda index*insulinogenic index
Changes from the 1st to the 3rd trimester
Gestational Diabetes Mellitus diagnosis
Time Frame: End of pregnancy
Incidence
End of pregnancy

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
CHU de Quebec-Universite Laval

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)
Laval University

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Anne-Sophie Morisset, RD, PhD, CHU de Quebec-Universite Laval

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
June 30, 2022

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
February 1, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
February 1, 2027

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
February 28, 2022

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
March 17, 2022

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
March 29, 2022

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimated)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
September 9, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
September 2, 2025

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
September 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 2022-6100

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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