Psychosocial Stress, Sedentary Behavior, and Physical Activity during Pregnancy among Canadian Women: Relationships in a Diverse Cohort and a Nationwide Sample

Abstract

Background: Past research shows that psychosocial stress and distress predict sedentary behavior and physical activity, but few studies focus on pregnant women. Our objective was to analyze relationships between psychosocial stress and distress with sedentary behavior and physical activity among pregnant women in Canada. Methods: We analyzed objectively-measured sedentary behavior and physical activity at 16–18, 24–26, and 32–24 weeks pregnancy in a sociodemographically diverse cohort of 70 women in Montreal, Canada. Participants completed the Perceived Stress Questionnaire and wore an accelerometer for 3 days that quantified sitting time and steps per day. We used univariate general linear models to analyze relationships between perceived stress with sedentary behavior and physical activity at each evaluation. To assess generalizability, we analyzed relationships between psychological distress with self-reported leisure-time sedentary behavior and daily energy expenditure in transportation and leisure physical activities among a sample representative of 166,095 women in the Canadian Community Health Survey. Results: In the Montreal cohort, we observed a positive association between perceived stress and sitting time, with small to moderate effect sizes (partial η2 = 0.08–0.16). We observed negative relationships between perceived stress and steps per day at the first two evaluations only, with small to moderate effect sizes (partial η2 = 0.08–0.11). Relationships for sedentary behavior were similar in the nationwide sample, but with smaller effect sizes (partial η2 = 0.02). There were no relationships between distress and physical activity in the nationwide sample. Conclusion: Psychosocial stress represents one risk factor for sedentarity, with relationships evident throughout pregnancy and at the population level. Relationships with physical activity are less consistent, but stress might represent a risk factor for low physical activity in early to mid-pregnancy. Results might guide the development of more comprehensive interventions targeting stress, sedentarity, and physical activity. In particular, integrating psychosocial health into interventions to reduce sedentarity, and including concrete guidelines on sedentary behavior in psychosocial health interventions, might be prioritized.

What Accounts for Physical Activity during Pregnancy? A Study on the Sociodemographic Predictors of Self-Reported and Objectively Assessed Physical Activity during the 1st and 2nd Trimesters of Pregnancy

“…Moreover, PA helps to maintain-or increases-cardiovascular endurance, muscle strength, resistance, agility, coordination, and equilibrium [5,11,18] and reduces the impact of muscle-skeletal pain such as backache [19]. The emotional benefits of PA include the strengthening of one's mood and self-esteem, increased sleep quality [3,20], and decreased stress during pregnancy [21].…”

Physical Exercise is Associated with Glycemic Control among Women with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: Findings from a Prospective Cohort in Shanghai, China

“…For reasons of exercise controversy and antenatal taboos, around 80% of pregnant women worldwide are physically inactive, especially in the last trimester of pregnancy. 11,15,16 In recent years, growing evidence in western countries has demonstrated that physical exercise during pregnancy is beneficial to women with GDM, and could lower the glucose level and reduce the risk of adverse perinatal outcome, [1][2][3][4]11 but evidence on the association of physical exercise during pregnancy and glycemic control among women with GDM is still limited in China.…”

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

“…There has always been a controversy about exercising during pregnancy [ 16 ]. For this reason, around 80% of pregnant women are physically inactive, increasing this inactivity during the last trimester of pregnancy [ 17 ]. However, today it is known that there are many benefits that exercise offers to both the fetus and the mother.…”