Abstract
Although there is abundant research on the benefits and risks of physical activity during pregnancy, few studies have explored the impact of pregnancy on women's behaviors or intentions related to physical activity. Furthermore, though research suggests that PA generally facilitates desired pregnancy outcomes, little is known regarding specific activity that might be most effective. The purpose of this study was to examine patterns and intentions of PA among pregnant women in rural southeast US.
Following a quantitative, cross-sectional design; participants were recruited from offices of obstetricians and pre-natal clinics(n = 89). The majority of the sample was 56% Caucasian (56%) followed by African American (32%). Most women were in their third trimester (48%) followed by 27% in the second. Variables included the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) score, BMI, and descriptive variables.
Given a specific definition of PA, 29% of participants reported no regular exercise; 23% reported having begun regular PA during pregnancy; 16% reported continuing a habit of PA during pregnancy; and 26% reported regular PA in the past but not during pregnancy. No difference in total PA among trimesters (p>0.05) but significant differences were found by geographical location (p
| Original language | American English |
|---|---|
| State | Published - Mar 14 2012 |
| Event | American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance Annual Conference (AAHPHERD) - Duration: Mar 16 2012 → … |
Conference
| Conference | American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance Annual Conference (AAHPHERD) |
|---|---|
| Period | 03/16/12 → … |
Disciplines
- Community Health
- Community Health and Preventive Medicine
- Kinesiology
- Public Health
- Public Health Education and Promotion
Keywords
- Pregnancy
- Exercise
- Physical activity
