Department of Nutrition Student Projects

Submission Date

12-12-2025

Document Type

Capstone

Degree Name

Master of Nutrition Science (MS)

First Mentor

Iona Scripa Ph.D

Keywords

Nutrition, Women's Health, Postpartum Nutrition, Postpartum Depression

Abstract

Postpartum depression (PPD) is a mental health condition that affects many women after giving birth but tends to go untreated. Research has identified that nutrition has an essential role in neurological health, including iron, folate, and the B vitamins. However, recent research regarding PPD and dietary interventions is limited. To address this gap, a 12-week-long pilot randomized controlled trial is proposed to evaluate the effectiveness of a text-based nutrition education program, encouraging dietary vitamin B12 intake, on reducing PPD symptoms in women 2-6 weeks postpartum. 128 participants will be recruited from 15 different Miami-Dade WIC clinics. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) will be used to identify PPD. Participants will be randomized into either the intervention or control group. The intervention group will receive weekly texts with educational videos, summarized handouts, easy recipes, and Publix vouchers to improve dietary vitamin B12 intake. Participants are expected to submit photos of their meals every week to track adherence. The EPDS scores will be collected multiple times throughout the 12 weeks to identify the effectiveness of the intervention. The NIH Food Frequency Questionnaire, a vitamin B12 knowledge questionnaire, and feasibility and acceptability metrics will also be used to analyze the effectiveness of the program. Data will be analyzed using two-sample t-tests and Generalized Estimating Equations (GEEs) to determine differences between the intervention and control groups, in addition to examining differences within the groups. At the completion of the 12 weeks, it is expected that the intervention group will have a significantly lower mean EPDS score compared to the control group, along with increased intake and knowledge of vitamin B12.

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