Tracking of Maternal Physical Activity and Sport Participation over 11 Years: Findings from the Czech ELSPAC Study.

Pavel Piler,Martin Zvonar,Mario Kasović,Lovro Štefan

doi:10.3390/ijerph19020705

Abstract

Purpose: Tracking of physical activity (PA) and sport participation (SP) during motherhood is poorly understood. The purpose of the study was to analyze the extent of tracking of maternal PA and SP. Methods: In this investigation, data were collected from the Czech ELSPAC study subsample of 4811 and 2609 women measured postnatally (1991–1992) and after 11 years of follow-up (2002–2003), respectively. The structured questionnaire was used to assess the participation and average weekly time spent in PA, and the frequency of engaging in different sports (running, cycling, strength training, racket sports, swimming, and team sports). Tracking was calculated using generalized estimating equations (GEE) with beta coefficients (β), odds ratios (ORs), and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). Results: Moderately high tracking coefficients were observed for cycling (β = 0.69, 95% 0.67–0.72), strength training (β = 0.59, 95% 0.56–0.63), and weekly time spent in PA (β = 0.53, 95% 0.38–0.66); meanwhile, moderate tracking coefficients were generated for swimming (β = 0.48, 95% 0.44–0.52), team sports (β = 0.44, 95% 0.39–0.48), racket sports (β = 0.44, 95% 0.39–0.48), and running (β = 0.35, 95% 0.30–0.40). Mothers who did not participate in PA at baseline were 81% more likely not to participate in it at follow-up (OR = 1.81, 95% CI 1.53–2.13). Conclusion: Cycling- and strength-related activities and weekly PA were tracked moderately-to-moderately high during motherhood. Moreover, the strong tracking of physical inactivity indicates that the detection of this risk factor before pregnancy should be advocated.

Highlights

Lack of physical activity (PA) has become a major public health concern worldwide [1]. the level of insufficient PA was stable in the last two decades, evidence suggests that global age-standardized prevalence of insufficient PA is 27.5%, with higher levels being predominantly observed in Western and high-income countries [1]
23.4 ± 4 years) and 11 years later (x ± sd = 34.6 ± 0.8 years), designed to elicit information on participating in PA (“yes”/“no”), weekly time spent in PA, and the frequency of participating in different sportrelated activities
The prevalence of mothers who participated in regular PA at baseline dropped by 18% at follow-up (p < 0.001) and the proportion of mothers reporting “good” self-rated health decreased by 4.3% (p < 0.001)

Summary

Introduction

The level of insufficient PA was stable in the last two decades, evidence suggests that global age-standardized prevalence of insufficient PA is 27.5%, with higher levels being predominantly observed in Western and high-income countries [1]. Previous studies have shown that lower levels of PA are consistently associated with weight gain [2], cardiovascular, mental, and metabolic diseases, and all-cause mortality [3]. Despite the positive health benefits of participating in regular PA [4], between 25% and. 40% of women in the United States [5] and Australia [6] do not participate in regular PA. Even lower participation in PA has been observed for women in the postpartum period [7]. It has been documented that women who maintain or increase their PA levels during and after pregnancy may experience better well-being in later life [8]

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Discussion

Conclusion