Relationships between Physical Activity and Quality of Life in Pregnant Women in the Second and Third Trimester

Abstract

Background: The problem of an inadequate level of physical activity (PA) is important in the context of its relationship with the quality of life (QoL) of pregnant women. The aim of this study was to analyze the relationships between PA and QoL among pregnant women. Methods: The study analyzed 346 questionnaires filled in by pregnant women (157 in the second trimester and 189 in the third). The tool used for assessment of PA was the Pregnancy Physical Activity Questionnaire-Polish version (PPAQ-PL). The quality of life (QoL) was assessed by the World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire-short form (WHOQoL-Bref). The results obtained from the PPAQ-PL and WHOQoL-Bref questionnaires for women in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy and intergroup differences were analyzed. Results: There was a significant correlation in the group of women in the second trimester of pregnancy between quality of life in the physical health domain and the intensity and type of physical activity. The women who rated their quality of life higher in this domain declared higher energy expenditures (EE) associated with vigorous activity (R = 0.159, p ≤ 0.05), as well as with occupational activity (R = 0.166; p ≤ 0.05) and sport/exercise activity (R = 0.187; p ≤ 0.05). In women in the third trimester, higher EE related to sport/exercise activity coincided with higher assessments of the overall quality of life (R = 0.149, p ≤ 0.05) and general health (R = 0.170, p ≤ 0.05). In the case of the psychological domain (R = 0.161, p ≤ 0.05) and social relationship domain (R = 0.188; p ≤ 0.05) of QoL, positive correlations occurred with EE related to vigorous activity. In contrast, high assessment of physical health domain coincided with higher EE related to occupational activity (R = 0.174; p ≤ 0.05). Conclusions: Our study makes an important contribution to knowledge concerning the correlations between PA and QoL in pregnancy. The results suggest the need for improvement in prenatal care and promotion of PA programs for pregnant women.

Quality of life, Social Support and Self-Efficacy in Women After A Miscarriage

“…The high scores in the physical domain were also consistent with the report by Tavoli et al [26]. Interestingly, in the QoL self-assessment by physically active women during uncomplicated pregnancy, the scores in the physical domain were next to lowest, while the highest scores were reported in the psychological domain [27]. In the present study, women who had lost a pregnancy reported lower QoL in the psychological domain.…”

The Relationship Between Physical Activity and Quality of Life During the Confinement Induced by COVID-19 Outbreak: A Pilot Study in Tunisia

“…Many studies have reported positive effects of PA on psychosocial status, such as quality of life (QoL), outside of confinement (Anokye et al, 2012;Vagetti et al, 2014;Krzepota et al, 2018;Ho et al, 2019). However, no study has so far investigated the relationship between PA and QoL during a period of confinement, such as the quarantine caused by COVID-19.…”

Pregnancy physical activity questionnaire (PPAQ): Translation and cross cultural adaption of an Arabic version

“…women in their third trimester reported mostly a tendency towards sedentary lifestyle, dominated by occupational type of PA, whereas those in their second trimester had a light level of PA and were oriented more towards household activities. Indeed, the second trimester of pregnancy is considered to be the most comfortable period during gestation, where women often feel more energetic and eager to be physically active [7]. Although, PA may decline before delivery due to excess body weight, lower back pain and pressure caused by the expansion of the uterus [32], our study demonstrated an elevated intensity of PA during the last trimester among ladies for occupational oriented activities.…”

“…A review published by Forczek et al in 2017 observed a net decline in activities in the first trimester of pregnancy, followed by a rise, after the 14 th week of gestation, with women mostly oriented towards occupational activities, housework/caregiving, active lifestyle combining essentially aerobic sports, such as walking and stationary cycling [30]. On the other hand, in a sample of Polish pregnant women, no differences were observed in terms of total PA, across the trimesters of pregnancy [7]. In our sample, the intensity and the type of PA increased in women of second and third trimester, compared to those in their first trimester.…”

“…Reports published worldwide focus on the knowledge and the practice of PA among pregnant women and explore maternal physical and psychological factors that enhance or hinder this behavior [7][8][9][10][11]. Hence, with the expansion of researches on the advantages of PA on health, various questionnaires have been developed such as the Godin Leisure-Time Exercise Questionnaire [12], the Simple Physical Activity Questionnaire [13], and the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire [14], but few were appropriate for pregnant women, mainly because they did not take into account daily routine activities frequently performed by them, such as childcare and household, were long and not validated during pregnancy [15].…”