Physical activity and dietary intake among Chinese pregnant women: an observational study

Xiang, Ming; Zhang, Jing; Liang, Huigang; Zhang, Zhiruo; Konishi, Masayuki; Hu, Huanhuan; Nishimaki, Mio; Kim, Hyeon Ki; Tabata, Hiroki; Shimizu, Hisao; Arao, Takashi; Sakamoto, Shizuo

doi:10.1186/s12884-019-2452-y

Cited by 23 publications

(41 citation statements)

References 31 publications

(43 reference statements)

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“…In addition, age, the number of children, stage of pregnancy, and lower level of education, and employment status significantly influenced the level of physical activity during pregnancy in Africa [ 59 , 85 , 86 , 98 , 104 , 109 ]. This proved consistent with other studies that reported age [ 120 ], low education [ 53 , 57 , 121 ], pregnancy trimester [ 122 , 123 ], and employment [ 121 ] as correlates affecting physical activity during pregnancy. Women who attain higher level of education are more knowledgeable about PA during pregnancy [ 48 , 59 ].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

Physical activity and exercise during pregnancy in Africa: a review of the literature

Okafor

Goon

2020

BMC Pregnancy Childbirth

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Background Pregnancy is an important phase in a woman’s life, with health status at this stage affecting both the woman and her child’s life. Global evidence suggests that many women engage in low levels of physical activity (PA) and exercise during pregnancy despite its beneficial effects. This is particularly the case in Africa. Methods This article reviews the literature on levels of PA and exercise among pregnant women in Africa, highlighting the level of PA or exercise participation during pregnancy in Africa, including types of PA, factors affecting PA, beliefs about and benefits of prenatal activity, advice or counselling on PA during pregnancy in Africa, and PA interventions proposed to promote the uptake of prenatal PA. Electronic search databases used were Google Scholar, Science Direct, Scopus, EMBASE, ERIC, Medline, Web of Science, EBSCOhost, PubMed, BIOMED Central, and African Journal Online. The basic search terms were: ‘Physical activity’, ‘Exercise’, ‘Pregnancy’, ‘Pregnant women’ and ‘Africa’. A total of 40 references were found. On the basis of an analysis of titles, abstracts and the language of publication (other than English), 11 articles were rejected, and 29 articles were fully read, although two had to be rejected due to a lack of access to the full version. Finally, 27 references were included in the review. Results Few studies exist on PA during pregnancy in Africa. The limited data available suggests that, compared to the Western world, pregnant women in Africa do not adhere to the recommendations for PA during pregnancy. Levels of participation in PA during pregnancy are low and decline as the pregnancy progresses. The majority of the studies used direct, objective measures to assess PA during pregnancy. Personal and environmental factors such as lack of time, lack of knowledge, inadequate information from healthcare providers, feelings of tiredness and an absence of social support constituted the main barriers to PA during pregnancy. The types of PA participation among pregnant women varied across studies and geographical settings. Conclusions While published data is limited, it seems clear that the participation of pregnant women in PA during pregnancy in Africa is low and declines with advancing pregnancy. There is a need for more studies to examine the dynamics of PA during pregnancy in Africa to guide contextual interventions to improve and promote maternal health on the continent.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

Physical activity and exercise during pregnancy in Africa: a review of the literature

Okafor

Goon

2020

BMC Pregnancy Childbirth

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“…In contrast to our study, studies of western populations showed that PA decreased or remained unchanged as pregnancy progressed [37,38]. Regarding studies with Chinese populations, the proportion of women achieving the recommended level remained at a low level of 11% across the pregnancies of urban women from Tianjin [24] and increased from 53.8% in the rst trimester to 61.4% in the third trimester among women from Chengdu [25]; But both of these studies were cross-sectional, and the changes in PA were concluded from different subsets of women. Our study was a multicentre study, and PA was surveyed in the same sample of women longitudinally at different pregnancy stages, resulting in a better representation of the Chinese population and in less bias.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 99%

Changes in physical activity across pregnancy among Chinese women: a longitudinal cohort study

Lü

Feng

et al. 2020

Preprint

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Background Sufficient physical activity (PA) during pregnancy is beneficial for a woman’s health; however, the PA levels of Chinese women at different pregnancy stages are not clear. The aim of our study was to investigate PA changes during pregnancy and the association of population characteristics with PA change among Chinese women. Methods Data were obtained from 2485 participants who were enrolled in the multicentre prospective Chinese Pregnant Women Cohort Study. PA level was assessed in early pregnancy (mean=10, 5-13 weeks of gestation) and again in mid-to-late pregnancy (mean=32, 24-30 weeks of gestation) using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire short form (IPAQ-SF). Sufficient PA (≥600 MET min/week) in early pregnancy and insufficient PA in mid-to-late pregnancy indicated decreasing PA. Insufficient PA in early pregnancy and sufficient PA in mid-to-late pregnancy indicated increasing PA. The associations between demographic, pregnancy and health characteristics and PA changes were examined by multivariable logistic regression. Results Total energy expenditure for PA increased significantly from early (median=396 MET min/week) to mid-to-late pregnancy (median=813 MET min/week) (P<0.001), and 55.25% of the participants eventually had sufficient PA. Walking was the dominant form of PA. Women with sufficient PA levels in early pregnancy were more likely to have sufficient PA in mid-to-late pregnancy (OR=1.897, 95% CI: 1.583-2.274). Women in West China and those in Central China were most and least likely, respectively, to have increasing PA (OR=1.387, 95% CI: 1.078-1.783 vs. OR=0.721, 95% CI: 0.562-0.925). Smoking was inversely associated with increasing PA (OR=0.480, 95% CI: 0.242-0.955). Women with higher educational levels were less likely to have decreasing PA (OR=0.662, 95% CI: 0.442-0.991). Conclusions PA increased as pregnancy progressed, and walking was the dominant form of PA among Chinese women. Further research is needed to better understand correlates of PA change.

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“…Moreover, the level of PA from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists' guidelines (total volume ≥ 7.5 MET•hour (h)/week in moderate intensity PA) may be insufficient to affect the GWG for Chinese women. Our previous study showed Chinese pregnant women have high total PA [26], and this study further showed that Chinese women with a higher level of total volume of PA had a lower risk of having inadequate GWG and excessive GWG, more than the volume recommended. A revised guideline may be needed for the population of Chinese women to control GWG.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 57%

When and How Should Chinese Pregnant Women Exercise? A Longitudinal Study in China

Xiang

Konishi

et al. 2019

IJERPH

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This study aimed to examine when and how physical activity (PA) influences gestational weight gain (GWG) and infant birthweight (BW) by considering the PA’s total volume, timing, intensity, and type, controlling for the influence of energy intake. A total of 1272 participants in different stages of pregnancy were recruited from hospital. The associations between PA and GWG or BW in the latter half of pregnancy were significant. Women with the highest PA volume in the third trimester had significantly lower risks of inadequate and excessive GWG by 69% (OR = 0.31, 95%CI: 0.10–0.91) and 67% (OR = 0.33, 95% CI: 0.12–0.91), respectively, compared to women in the lowest quartile. Women who achieved the recommended moderate intensity of PA during their second and third trimesters, independent of total volume of PA, had infants with significantly lower BWs compared to those who did not (β = −0.15, SE = 66.33, p = 0.04; β = −0.20, SE = 64.54, p = 0.01, respectively). Therefore, the effects of total volume and intensity of PA on GWG and BW were different. Interventions to prevent inappropriate GWG and macrosomia may need to set different priorities and timing regarding total volume or intensity of PA.

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Physical activity and dietary intake among Chinese pregnant women: an observational study

Cited by 23 publications

References 31 publications

Physical activity and exercise during pregnancy in Africa: a review of the literature

Physical activity and exercise during pregnancy in Africa: a review of the literature

Changes in physical activity across pregnancy among Chinese women: a longitudinal cohort study

When and How Should Chinese Pregnant Women Exercise? A Longitudinal Study in China

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