Effectiveness of Physical Activity Interventions on Pregnancy-Related Outcomes among Pregnant Women: A Systematic Review.

Carmen W H Chan,Elce Au Yeung,Bernard M H Law

doi:10.3390/ijerph16101840

Abstract

Regular physical activity has been demonstrated to contribute to physical and psychological health. Nevertheless, pregnant women generally exhibit low levels of physical activity. Implementation of interventions that enhance the self-efficacy of pregnant women on increasing physical activity is required. This paper provides an in-depth review of studies reporting the effect of various physical activity interventions dedicated for pregnant women on pregnancy-related issues, including gestational weight gain, pain and depression, physical activity level, and quality of life among these individuals. Five databases were used in searching the literature. Findings of the included studies were presented narratively, and appraisal of their methodological quality was conducted using the quality assessment tool developed by Effective Public Health Practice Project. Review findings demonstrated that physical activity interventions are effective in enhancing physical activity levels of pregnant women. Further, they are potentially useful in alleviating pregnancy-related pain and psychological symptoms, reducing gestational weight gain, and increasing self-efficacy in enhancing physical activity levels among these individuals. Nevertheless, inconsistencies in findings between studies hamper the drawing of firm conclusions on these latter outcomes. Overall, studies demonstrated a positive effect of physical activity interventions on the well-being and physical and psychological health of pregnant women.

Highlights

Regular physical activity is known to be beneficial to both physical and psychological health [1].The World Health Organization recommends that adults aged between 18–64 should engage in at least150 min of moderate-intensity activity or 75 min of vigorous-intensity physical activity per week [2].Lack of adequate physical activity was identified as the fourth leading cause for global mortality attributed to cardiovascular disease, stroke, and diabetes mellitus [3]
One major finding of our review is the positive effect of physical activity interventions on enhancing the physical activity level among pregnant women, and this finding is generally consistent among the included studies reporting such effect
The performance of adequate physical exercise is of great importance for pregnant women, as it has been shown to be beneficial to the health of both the mother and the fetus

Summary

Introduction

Regular physical activity is known to be beneficial to both physical and psychological health [1].The World Health Organization recommends that adults aged between 18–64 should engage in at least150 min of moderate-intensity activity or 75 min of vigorous-intensity physical activity per week [2].Lack of adequate physical activity was identified as the fourth leading cause for global mortality attributed to cardiovascular disease, stroke, and diabetes mellitus [3]. The World Health Organization recommends that adults aged between 18–64 should engage in at least. A local survey showed that only 50.7% male and 37.4% female adults have achieved a higher level of physical activity recommended by the WHO [4]. In view of the lack of a decreasing trend in the prevalence of insufficient physical activity among populations worldwide, strategies need to be developed to effectively educate individuals on the importance of physical exercise. Among these individuals, pregnant women are in high need of such education

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Discussion

Conclusion