Background:  Epidemiological studies and surveillance systems of pregnant women often rely on collection of physical activity through self‐report. This systematic review identified and summarised self‐reported physical activity assessments with evidence for validity and reliability among pregnant women. Methods:  Peer‐reviewed articles published through 2011 were included if they assessed validity and/or reliability of an interviewer‐ or self‐administered physical activity questionnaire or diary among pregnant women. Results:  We identified 15 studies, including 12 studies that assessed questionnaires and 4 studies that assessed diaries, conducted in Australia, Finland, Norway, the UK, the US and Vietnam. For questionnaires, 92% (11/12) assessed mode, all assessed frequency and/or duration and 58% (7/12) collected information on perceived intensity. All but one study (92%) assessed validity of the questionnaires. Questionnaires compared with objective measures (accelerometers, pedometers) ranged from slight to fair agreement, while comparison with other self‐reported measures ranged from substantial to almost perfect agreement. Five studies (42%) assessed test–retest reliability of the questionnaires, ranging from substantial to almost perfect agreement. The four studies on diaries were all assessed for validity against objective measures, ranging from slight to substantial agreement. Conclusions:  Selection of valid and reliable physical activity measures that collect information on dose (type, frequency, duration, intensity) is recommended to increase precision and accuracy in detecting associations of physical activity with maternal and fetal outcomes.

Physical activity during pregnancy has been associated with significant health benefits, however most women in the United States do not meet current guidelines. This systematic review evaluates evidence for interventions to improve physical activity during pregnancy in order to identify best practices and inform future research. Electronic databases (PubMed, CINAHL, SportDISCUS, Embase, ERIC, Psych Info and ISI Web of Science) were searched in July 2011 for peer-reviewed journal articles. Studies were included if they were English-language randomized control trials that measured the efficacy of an intervention targeted to pregnant women and designed to change physical activity as a primary or secondary outcome. Out of 777 studies identified through the systematic search, nine interventions were identified for inclusion by multiple reviewers. Data was abstracted using an abstraction form modeled after the “Guide to Community Preventive Services.” Of the nine interventions included in the review, three reported statistically significant positive results for physical activity. While interventions included a variety of strategies and techniques, none were uniquely associated with positive outcomes. Overall this review suggests that little is known about the efficacy of interventions for physical activity during pregnancy. We provide several recommendations for future research and intervention design.

Pain relief for women undergoing oocyte retrieval for assisted reproduction.

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