Sedentary And Physical Activity Time In Women During The First Year Postpartum

Abstract

During the postpartum period, 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity (PA) per week is recommended. However, little is known about how many women are meeting these guidelines and if racial differences exist. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the time spent being sedentary, time in light PA (LPA), and time in moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA), while also examining the percentage of women meeting the recommended PA guidelines during the first year postpartum. METHODS: Participants were white (n = 85) and African American (n = 49) women (18-43 years), who gave birth to a singleton at ≥37 weeks gestation. At 6-8 weeks, 4 months, 6 months, 9 months, and 12 months postpartum, PA was measured by a hip worn accelerometer. Participants wore the accelerometer for at least 5 days and were told to maintain their normal daily routine. Data was analyzed to determine time spent in sedentary bouts, LPA, and MVPA. Mean daily MVPA was used to determine if participants met the guidelines of 150 minutes of MVPA per week. RESULTS: Daily average sedentary, LPA, and MVPA time are included in the table below (means and standard deviations). The percentage of women who did not meet recommended guidelines at each timepoint are as follows: 18.8% at 6-8 weeks, 12.4% at 4 months, 6.9% at 6 months, 6.7% at 9 months, and 5.2% at 12 months. For African American women, 32.7% at 6-8 weeks, 25.0% at 4 months, 7.4% at 6 months, 17.7% at 9 months, and 17.7% at 12 months did not meet the recommendations. For white women at the same timepoints, 10.7%, 6.4%, 6.7%, 3.5%, and 1.7% (respectively) did not meet recommended guidelines. CONCLUSION: During the first year postpartum, sedentary time appeared higher at 6-8 weeks than later timepoints. Time in LPA was higher at 9 and 12 months than earlier timepoints. Time in MVPA showed an increasing trend across the timepoints. There was a higher percentage of African American than white women not meeting the guidelines at each timepoint.Supported by: NIH Grant R21MD012740