Physical activity level in women with gestational diabetes mellitus: Lifestyle INtervention for Diabetes prevention After pregnancy (LINDA‐Brasil) study

Abstract

Background The aim of this study was to investigate physical activity and associated factors in women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Methods This cross‐sectional study was performed on 2706 women as part of the Lifestyle INtervention for Diabetes prevention After pregnancy (LINDA‐Brasil) study, recruited between 2012 and 2016 in Brazil. A structured questionnaire was used to assess physical activity. Descriptive and Poisson regression analyses were used to investigate physical activity and associated factors. Results Counseling regarding physical activity practices was reported by 47.4% and 34.3% of women before and after a diagnosis of GDM, respectively. During pregnancy, 26% of women were classified as inactive, 39.7% were classified as insufficiently active, and 34.3% were classified as active. Compared with prepregnancy, 63.1% of women reported a decrease in physical activity levels during pregnancy. The prevalence of being inactive during pregnancy was higher among women who did not live with a partner (P = 0.003), had a lower household income (P = 0.01), were employed (P < 0.001), and who had four or more children (P < 0.001). Conclusion Among Brazilian women with GDM, physical activity levels and practices were low, with most women reporting decreased physical activity during pregnancy. A low socioeconomic status was associated with lower physical activity. These findings indicate the need to reinforce the importance of physical activity in the management of GDM in Brazil.

Integrating Motivational Interviewing into Clinical Care to Increase Physical Activity Levels in Women with Gestational Diabetes

“…In most studies, PA is treated as a categorical variable, reported as a summary measure for the entire pregnancy or only reported in a single trimester (20). (10). This is similar to our cohort, of whom 27% reported more than 150 min/week of moderate intensity physical activity, and 31% reported less than 30 min/week.…”

“…Whilst the limited evidence suggests that PA levels are low amongst women with GDM (10,23), in contrast, there is growing high quality evidence surrounding the bene ts of PA. Speci cally; metaanalyses have shown that PA interventions can improve glycaemic control (6,7). A recent systematic review of twelve trials including both aerobic and resistance exercise found that requirements of insulin therapy, dosage, and latency to administration were improved in the exercise groups (6).…”

“…Red was de ned as less than 30 minutes of moderate intensity PA, amber 30-149 minutes and green 150 minutes or more. These categories were chosen with reference to the most recent PA guidelines recommending 150 minutes of moderate intensity PA/week (10)(11)(12). The speci c categories were adopted from the activity classi cation used in the Health survey for England (18).…”

“…It is recommended women undertake at least 150 minutes of aerobic PA and perform muscle strengthening activities twice per week throughout pregnancy (8,9). Despite this, a recent report found at least 65% of women with GDM are not meeting recommendations (10). Common reported barriers are fatigue, lack of time and pregnancy discomfort.…”

Physical Activity Programs during Pregnancy Are Effective for the Control of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus

“…However, prevention of GDM through physical exercise is a topic of importance closely related to the present review. Physical activity helps prevent GDM by improving glycemic control, insulin resistance, and pre-pregnancy weight gain [47]. A study indicates that an increase of 100 min of moderate to vigorous physical activity per week could reduce the risk of GDM by 9% [48].…”