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RecruitingNCT07758114PEEPSUpdated Sep 14, 2026

Prenatal Education on Environmental Exposures During Pregnancy Study (PEEPS)

An interventional study of Educational Intervention in Environmental Exposure, Pregnancy Related and Preterm Birth, sponsored by The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston. Recruiting at 2 sites in United States. Open to female participants aged 18 Years and older, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-09-14.

Sponsored by The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston · Not applicable, Interventional, and Prevention

Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
300
Allocation
Not applicable
Ages
18 Years and older
Sex
Female
01

Study summary

The purpose of this project is to reduce maternal environmental exposures to toxicants through a patient education program designed to help pregnant women learn about exposure through consumption of contaminated seafood and to be able to use the lessons they learn to have a better understanding of risk.

Read the detailed description

The educational project proposed is to fulfill, in part, a mission to develop and adapt best practices to work with residents and local leaders of affected communities to facilitate prevention and intervention strategies that will result in community-level reductions in exposure to PAHs and other Superfund site pollutants. The communities included are those surrounding the Ship Channel, and Superfund sites, including Harrisburg/ Manchester, Galena Park, Channelview, Pasadena, Deer Park, and the Highlands. Many are Environmental Justice (EJ) communities, impacted by industrialization, poverty, and the environmental health effects of sites including the San Jacinto Waste Pits, Patrick Bayou, and dozens of downstream hot spots. An important goal is to test and validate all program materials and outcomes of the training, including satisfaction. To do this, participants will be asked to complete pre- and post-tests, an end-of-course evaluation, and complete a brief follow-up survey through two telephone calls, one completed three months following the training and a second at one year following the training.

02

Conditions studied

  • Environmental Exposure
  • Pregnancy Related
  • Preterm Birth
  • Chronic Respiratory Disease
  • Neurodegenerative Diseases

Keywords

  • Safe Seafood Consumption
  • Environmental Exposure
  • Superfund
  • FDA Dietary Guide
  • Pregnancy
03

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years and older
Sexes eligible
Female
Accepts healthy volunteers
Yes

Inclusion criteria

  • Must be at least 18 years old
  • Must be pregnant, trying, or a mom
  • Must not have any conditions that would prevent them from carrying out study activities
  • Must be able to complete surveys and understand instructions

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Participants will not be considered if they are younger than 18 and are not pregnant, trying, or a mom.
04

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Prevention
Allocation
Not applicable
Intervention model
Single group
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
300 participants (estimated)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Single intervention arm

    Participants will complete pre- and post-surveys before and following the educational intervention, followed by and end-of-course survey and two follow-up telephone survey interviews to assess intent to alter behavior based upon risk perception, satisfaction with the educational program, and whether the educational program in making food and nutrition choices during and following pregnancy.

    Behavioral: Educational Intervention

Interventions

  • BehavioralEducational Intervention

    The actual curriculum, infographics, and educational materials will be adapted from "Seafood at its Best," a detailed curriculum that covers four primary areas: 1) overview of seafood and seafood sourcing, 2) health benefits of seafood consumption, 3) seafood-borne illnesses and risks from seafood consumption, and 4) tips for selecting, buying, handling, storing, and cooking seafood.

05

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Change in Knowledge From Pre-Curriculum to Post-Curriculum Survey

    Knowledge change will be measured using a structured survey administered before and immediately after completion of the curriculum. The pre-curriculum survey will assess baseline knowledge of the curriculum content, and the post-curriculum survey will assess knowledge after the educational intervention. The change in knowledge will be calculated by comparing pre-curriculum and post-curriculum survey scores. Higher scores indicate greater knowledge of the curriculum content.

    Time frame: Baseline (pre-curriculum) and immediately following completion of the curriculum

  2. Behavior Change Measured by Follow-Up Survey

    Behavior change will be assessed using a follow-up survey administered at 3 months and 12 months after completion of the curriculum. The survey will evaluate participants' self-reported implementation of behaviors and practices related to the curriculum content. Behavioral change over time will be evaluated by comparing survey responses collected at the 3-month follow-up with responses collected at the 12-month follow-up. Higher scores indicate greater adoption or maintenance of the targeted behaviors.

    Time frame: 3 months and 12 months following completion of the curriculum

06

Study locations

2 of 2 sites recruiting
  • St Vincent's Hope Clinics
    Galveston, Texas 77550, United States
    Recruiting
  • University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston
    Galveston, Texas 77555-0133, United States
    Recruiting
07

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT07758114
Lead sponsor
The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston
Collaborators
Baylor College of Medicine, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Aug 11, 2026
Start date
Aug 27, 2026
Primary completion
Apr 2029 (estimated)
Completion
Apr 2029 (estimated)
Last update
Sep 14, 2026

Study contacts

Lance Hallberg, PhD
Contact
lmhallbe@utmb.edu
(409)772-3797
Cynthia Hallmark
Contact
cchallma@utmb.edu
(409)772-9110
Lance Hallberg, PhD
principal investigator · The University of Texas Medical Branch

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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