Compliance with leisure-time physical activity recommendations in pregnant women

Objective: The aim of this study was to identify the prevalence and factors associated with the performance of minimal beneficial leisure-time physical activity in the first half of pregnancy according to the criteria of the American College of Sport and Medicine (ACSM) and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG).

Material and methods: This was a cross-sectional study carried out at the Maternal and Neonatal University Hospital in Granada, which services the whole population of the hospital reference area. We studied 1,175 healthy pregnant women aged over 18 years. Information about sociodemographics, lifestyles, obstetric antecedents and anthropometric variables were collected. The amount of leisure-time physical activity was quantified by assigning metabolic equivalents to each activity. The ACSM and ACOG criteria were used to define optimal physical activity in the first half of pregnancy. The frequency of compliance for both criteria was estimated. Multiple logistic regression models were fitted to study the factors associated with the recommendations.

Results: Only 20.3% (95% confidence interval 15.50-26.10) of the women complied with ACOG criteria. More women complied with ACSM recommendations (70.8%, 95% confidence interval 67.5-73.8), which are less restrictive criteria. Women aged 30 years old or older and those with a university degree tended to devote more time to exercising according to both recommendations.

Conclusion: The prevalence of pregnant women who performed minimal beneficial leisure-time physical activity was lower with the dominant and more accepted criteria. It is necessary to encourage physical activity, mainly among those who are younger, and those with lower levels of educational attainment.