Mentor/s
Professor Alicja Stannard
Participation Type
Poster
Abstract
Pregnant women may experience health complications such as preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, and preterm birth. Physical activity (PA) during pregnancy is associated with positive health outcomes such as reduced risk of pregnancy complications. In low-income women, leisure-physical activity (LTPA) is low but household (HPA) and job PA (JPA) is understudied. The purpose of this study was to examine the differences in LTPA, JPA, HPA, and Total PA among healthy low-income pregnant women and those with pregnancy related health problems.
Methods: Low-income pregnant and postpartum women were recruited nationwide using an online platform. Participants (n=119) reported demographic and health information. They recalled pregnancy PA by completing the International Physical Activity Questionnaire, a validated instrument estimating LTPA, HPA, JPA, transportation PA, and Total PA in MET hr/wk. Women reporting hypertension, preeclampsia, gestational diabetes or bedrest were classified as pregnancy ailments. Descriptive statistics were performed for all variables. Median split was used to categorize PA variables and chi-square analysis was performed.
Results: Participants’ median age was 29.5 years (±5.6), 26.9% reported at least one health problem, and 49.2% were on Medicaid. PA recommendations of 8.25 MET hrs/wk were met by 44.8% of healthy women and 40.6% of pregnancy ailments. No differences between the groups were found for LTPA, HPA, JPA, transportation PA, and Total PA.
Conclusion: Health status appears not to influence pregnancy related PA levels in this sample. However, more research is needed to understand the PA patterns within low-income pregnant women.
College and Major available
Exercise Science UG
Location
University Commons
Start Day/Time
4-21-2017 1:00 PM
End Day/Time
4-21-2017 3:00 PM
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 License.
Associations Among Physical Activity and Pregnancy Health Complications in Low-Income Women
University Commons
Pregnant women may experience health complications such as preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, and preterm birth. Physical activity (PA) during pregnancy is associated with positive health outcomes such as reduced risk of pregnancy complications. In low-income women, leisure-physical activity (LTPA) is low but household (HPA) and job PA (JPA) is understudied. The purpose of this study was to examine the differences in LTPA, JPA, HPA, and Total PA among healthy low-income pregnant women and those with pregnancy related health problems.
Methods: Low-income pregnant and postpartum women were recruited nationwide using an online platform. Participants (n=119) reported demographic and health information. They recalled pregnancy PA by completing the International Physical Activity Questionnaire, a validated instrument estimating LTPA, HPA, JPA, transportation PA, and Total PA in MET hr/wk. Women reporting hypertension, preeclampsia, gestational diabetes or bedrest were classified as pregnancy ailments. Descriptive statistics were performed for all variables. Median split was used to categorize PA variables and chi-square analysis was performed.
Results: Participants’ median age was 29.5 years (±5.6), 26.9% reported at least one health problem, and 49.2% were on Medicaid. PA recommendations of 8.25 MET hrs/wk were met by 44.8% of healthy women and 40.6% of pregnancy ailments. No differences between the groups were found for LTPA, HPA, JPA, transportation PA, and Total PA.
Conclusion: Health status appears not to influence pregnancy related PA levels in this sample. However, more research is needed to understand the PA patterns within low-income pregnant women.
