Background/Aim: The management of pregnant women is a significant public health concern. This study aims to demonstrate the benefits of prenatal gymnastics and psychological support on pain, walking, anxiety, and self-esteem during pregnancy. Methods: A quasi-experimental study was conducted over eight months, from September 2020 to April 2021, with 38 pregnant women participating. They underwent 16 sessions of prenatal gymnastics and psychological support once a week, lasting 45 min at low to moderate intensity. Pain, six-minute walk, anxiety, and self-esteem were measured using the visual analog scale (VAS), the six-minute walk test, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HAD Scale), and the Rosenberg scale, respectively. The parametric Student's t-test and chi-square were used to compare quantitative and qualitative variables before and after the program, with P<0.05 considered statistically significant. Results: The study found that the distance traveled (377.45 m vs. 393 m; P=0.001) and VO2max (15.1 ml/kg/m2 vs. 18.5 ml/kg/m2; P=0.001) increased at the end of the program. However, pain (6 vs. 1.16; P=0.001) and walking speed (2.2 m/s vs. 1.9 m/s; P=0.001) decreased. The program also improved self-esteem (low: 55.3% before vs. 0% after; P=0.001, medium: 44.7% before vs. 13.2% after; P=0.001, strong: 0% before vs. 86.8% after; P=0.001) and anxiety (Uncertain anxiety: 31.6% before vs. 97.4% after; P=0.001, Questionable anxiety: 50% before vs. 2.6% after, Certain anxiety: 18.4% before vs. 0% after; P=0.001). Conclusion: Regular prenatal gymnastics and psychological support positively affect oxygen consumption, pain, anxiety, and self-esteem among pregnant women. This program should be provided continuously to minimize pregnancy-related complications.
Background/Aim: Pregnancy is a condition that alters a woman's respiratory parameters. We aimed to verify the impact of a prenatal physical preparation program on respiratory parameters of pregnant women. Methods: A quasi-experimental study was conducted with 38 pregnant women over a period of 8 months. It consisted of measuring the respiratory parameters (using the New MIR Spirolab Spirometer) of pregnant women who participated in the prenatal physical preparation program. Each session lasted 45 minutes and took place once a week. The sessions involved low to moderate intensity and assessed the forced expiratory volume second, the vital capacity force, and the peak expiratory flow. Results: After the intervention program in prenatal physical preparation, there was a significant change in the vital capacity force (74 (3.65) before vs 79 (0.54) after; P=0.003); forced expiratory volume (68 (0.63) vs 76 (0.45), P=0.002); and peak expiratory (69 (1.77) before vs 78 (1.12) after; P=0.001) The Tiffeneau index showed (72.8 (4.2) vs 76.19 (13.3), P=0.001). The number of pregnant women with normal spirometry doubled from 47.4% at the start of the program to 94.7% at the end of the program. Similarly, the proportion of pregnant women with mild restriction increased from 42.1% at the start of the program to 2.6% at the end, indicating a total improvement of the obstructive disorders. Conclusion: The regular practice of physical activity allows for improvement of the respiratory parameters of pregnant women. This program must continue to enable these women to maintain their respiratory capacity after childbirth.
Background/Aim: The practice of physical activities among pregnant women remains a significant health challenge in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The aim of this study was to examine the influence of prenatal physical preparation on the state of the perineum and Apgar scores at birth. Methods: This experimental study included 89 pregnant women, with 38 of them subjected to an 8-month prenatal physical preparation program that involved weekly sessions of 45 min of low to moderate intensity. The remaining 51 pregnant women did not participate in the program and served as a control group. The variables of interest, including episiotomy, perineal tear, intact perineum, and Apgar scores, were measured, and the chi-square statistical test was used to compare the two study groups. P-values <0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results: The present study reveals that the women in labor in the experimental group (EG) had fewer perineal tears and less episiotomy compared to the control group (CG). Specifically, the incidence of perineal tear was significantly lower in the EG (5.3%) than in the CG (27.5%) with a P-value of 0.001, while the incidence of episiotomy was also significantly lower in the EG (7.9%) than in the CG (25.5%) (P=0.032). Furthermore, a significant number of women in the EG (86.8%) had an intact perineum compared to those in the CG (47%) (P=0.001). Conclusion: The delivery parameters of pregnant women who followed a prenatal physical preparation program underwent significant changes compared to those who did not participate in the program. These findings suggest that the program should be continued to improve the care of women who have given birth.
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