Protective Assets Reinforced With Integrated Care and Technology (PARITY): Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial

Area of Science:

• Maternal Health
• Health Disparities
• Digital Health Interventions

Background:

• Black women face disproportionately higher rates of severe maternal morbidity and mortality compared to White women.
• The Protective Assets Reinforced with Integrated Care and Technology (PARITY) program aims to address these disparities.
• PARITY integrates a wellness technology platform with community doula support.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the feasibility and acceptability of the PARITY intervention.
• To investigate the preliminary efficacy of PARITY on clinical outcomes (blood pressure, weight gain, cesarean birth).
• To assess changes in wellness behaviors and empowered strengths among participants.

Main Methods:

• A pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) with 60 Black pregnant individuals randomized 1:1 to intervention or control.
• The intervention group receives a technology platform and doula support over 12 weeks.
• Mixed methods evaluation including clinical and behavioral outcome measures from 20 weeks gestation to 12 weeks postpartum.

Main Results:

• Recruitment, enrollment, and data collection are ongoing.
• The study is funded by the National Institute of Nursing Research.
• The estimated study completion date is October 2024.

Conclusions:

• The study is expected to provide feasibility and preliminary efficacy data for the PARITY intervention.
• Results will inform the design of a larger, 12-month PARITY program trial.
• This research seeks to offer pragmatic solutions for Black maternal health disparities.