Associations of objectively measured physical activity and sedentary time with pregnancy-specific health-related quality of life.
Kara M Whitaker, Melissa A Jones, McKenzie K Wallace and 2 others
PMID 34801955WHAT IT FOUND
In pregnant women, higher measured activity was linked to better pregnancy-specific quality of life, mainly fewer limitations.
More sitting time was linked to worse fatigue. These are links, not proof activity changes quality of life.
Key findings
01Total, fatigue, and emotions were worse in the first and third trimesters than in the second.
02A 16.0 min/day higher measured activity was linked to a 4.06 point lower overall quality-of-life score. Lower scores mean better quality of life.
03A 1.5 hr/day higher sedentary time was linked to a 0.82 point higher fatigue score. Higher fatigue scores mean worse quality of life.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The analysis included 131 women, so estimates are imprecise and some models could not be tested. Participants were mostly non-Hispanic White and highly educated, so results may not apply to all pregnant people. Activity and quality of life were measured at the same time, so the study cannot show that activity changes quality of life. The quality-of-life questionnaire was specific to nausea and vomiting and less widely used. This makes comparison with other studies difficult. Because the sample was small, the models adjusted only for race, site, and BMI, and could not test differences by BMI, race, or other groups.
Declared interests
The authors declared no competing financial interests or personal relationships.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that increasing exercise will improve pregnancy quality of life. Activity and quality of life were measured at the same time. Women with fewer limitations may have been able to be more active rather than activity reducing limitations.