Changes in Physical Activity Among Postpartum Overweight and Obese Women: Results from the KAN-DO Study

Abstract

Few studies have assessed physical activity at multiple time points in the postpartum period or used both self-reported and objective measures of assessment. The purpose of this study was to describe physical activity and sedentary behavior at two time points in a cohort of overweight or obese postpartum women using both self-reported and objective measures. In total, 132 women completed physical activity assessments at a median of 24 weeks postpartum and again approximately 10 months later. At both time points, women wore an Actical accelerometer for one week and completed the Kaiser Physical Activity Survey. Adjusted Poisson regression models were used to determine whether physical activity changed over time for the cohort. Overall counts per minute and moderate to vigorous physical activity increased from baseline to 10 months later, although the absolute levels were modest (median 6.9 to 8.8 minutes/day). A median of 64%–71% at baseline and 63%–67% at follow-up of their monitored times were sedentary. More intensive interventions are needed to help postpartum women integrate physical activity and reduce sedentary behavior. [Supplementary material is available for this article. Go to the publisher's online edition of Women & Health for the following resource: three figures that show the distribution of physical activity and sedentary behavior by study periods among control participants]