title: Health-promoting behaviors through pregnancy, maternity leave, and return to work: effects of role spillover and other correlates.
abstract: Women's health-promoting behavior changes and their correlates across the transition to motherhood and return to work are insufficiently understood. The purpose of this study was to describe and compare women's health-promoting behaviors, particularly physical activity (PA), across these transitions. A prospective, observational design was employed to assess 243 female healthcare workers from 3 sites with regard to health-promoting behaviors, and their demographic (e.g., age, parity) and psychosocial (i.e., work-family role spillover) correlates. Forty-two participants were recruited while pregnant and re-assessed during maternity leave and upon return to work, and compared to 201 non-pregnant participants. No significant changes in health-promoting behaviors were observed from pregnancy through the postpartum. Pregnant participants reported better nutrition than comparison participants (p=.001), and were more likely to check their pulse when exercising (p=.004). During pregnancy, health-promoting behaviors were related to parental status, with first-time mothers engaging in more positive behaviors. Correlates of PA during maternity leave and return to work included family income and exercise history. Positive family-to-work spillover was significantly greater among pregnant women than among comparison participants (p<.001), and positive work-to-family spillover was related to greater PA upon return to work (p<.01). This study reveals little variability in health-promoting behaviors from the prenatal to the postpartum period. Both demographic and psychosocial factors have effects on health-promoting behaviors, and we must look to these correlates to promote increased PA.
authors.affiliation: York University, University Health Network Women's Health Program, and Toronto General Hospital, Toronto, ON, M3J 1P3, Canada. sgrace@yorku.ca
authors.forename: Sherry L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Grace
authors.forename: Alysha
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: Donna E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Stewart
authors.forename: Renée-Louise
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Franche
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D009864:Ontario; D016524:Parental Leave; D011247:Pregnancy; D037841:Pregnant People / Q000523:psychology*; D012649:Self Concept; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016387:Women's Health; D014931:Women, Working / Q000523:psychology*; D017132:Workplace