“Just because you’re pregnant, doesn’t mean you’re sick!” A qualitative study of beliefs regarding physical activity in black South African women

Abstract

BackgroundDespite the benefits of physical activity during pregnancy, the physiological and psychological changes that occur during this unique period may put women at greater risk of being sedentary. Lifestyle and environmental transitions have left black South African women at increased risk of physical inactivity and associated health risks. Therefore, the aim of this qualitative study was to describe the beliefs regarding physical activity during pregnancy in an urban African population.MethodsSemi-structured interviews (n = 13) were conducted with pregnant black African women during their third trimester. Deductive thematic analysis was completed based on the Theory of Planned Behaviour. Coding and analysis was completed with the assistance of ATLAS.ti software.ResultsParticipants had a mean age of 28 (19–41) years, and a mean BMI of 30 (19.6–39.0) kg/m2. Although the majority of women believed that physical activity was beneficial, this did not appear to translate into behaviour. Reported reasons for this included barriers such as pregnancy-related discomforts, lack of time, money and physical activity related education, all of which can contribute to a reduced perceived control to become active. Opportunities to participate in group exercise classes was a commonly reported facilitator for becoming active. In addition, influential role players, such as family, friends and healthcare providers, as well as cultural beliefs, reportedly provided the women with vague, conflicting and often discouraging advice about physical activity during pregnancy.ConclusionsThis study provides new theoretical insight on the beliefs of urban South African pregnant women regarding physical activity. Findings from this study suggest a holistic approach to improve physical activity compliance during pregnancy, inclusive of physical activity education and exercise opportunities within a community setting.This study presents critical formative work upon which contextually and culturally sensitive interventions can be developed.

Determinants of dietary and physical activity behaviours among women of reproductive age in urban sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review

“…Four studies were from Kenya (26) , Tanzania (21) , Senegal (25) and Cameroon (20) . Studies on PA were from South Africa (23,37,(42)(43)(44)(45)(46) , Nigeria (47,48) and Cameroon (20) .…”

“…Components of PA studied included: PA pattern (44,45,48) , PA beliefs (23,37) , PA knowledge and socio-cultural barriers (20,46) and experiences of PA during pregnancy and postpartum (42,43,47) . Qualitative studies uncovered more of knowledge, attitude and socio-cultural mediators, while cross-sectional studies reported on majorly socio-economic determinants.…”

“…Awareness. Seven studies reported key determinants of PA as being knowledge/awareness of PA recommendations, its health benefits and how one might engage in PA (20,23,37,42,43,46,47) .…”

Maternal and early life nutrition and physical activity: setting the research and intervention agenda for addressing the double burden of malnutrition in South African children

“…These findings are similar to national findings from non-pregnant South African females [7]; however, physical activity levels have been shown to decline significantly throughout the course of the gestational period [26], putting women in the later stages of pregnancy at even higher risk of insufficient physical activity. Two South African qualitative studies have found that a lack of a supportive environment, inadequate knowledge and education, as well as conflicting cultural beliefs are all possible reasons for the declining levels of physical activity during pregnancy [27,28]. …”

Are Social Status and Migration Background Associated with Utilization of Non-medical Antenatal Care? Analyses from Two German Studies

“…However, the uptake of antenatal care can also be influenced by a range of socio-cultural and migration-related factors, such as knowledge of and expectations toward the health system (Almeida et al 2014a, b), perception of the appropriateness and quality of ANC (Fabian et al 2005), and pregnancy-related beliefs and cultural norms, e.g. exercising in pregnancy may not be considered as safe practice (Benza and Liamputtong 2014;Watson et al 2016). In this context, the role of migration background and socioeconomic status as possible interacting and influencing factors is yet to be explored.…”