Self-Reported and objectively measured physical activity among a cohort of postpartum women: the PIN Postpartum Study.
BACKGROUND
Few studies measure physical activity objectively or at multiple time points during postpartum. We describe physical activity at 3- and 12-months postpartum among a cohort of women using both self-reported and objective measures.


METHODS
In total, 181 women completed the 3-month postpartum measures, and 204 women completed the 12-month postpartum measures. Participants wore an ActiGraph accelerometer for 1 week and completed in-home interviews that included questions on physical activity. A cohort of 80 women participated at both time points. Poisson regression models were used to determine whether physical activity differed over time for the cohort.


RESULTS
For the cohort, average counts/minute were 364 at 3-months postpartum and 394 at 12-months postpartum. At both time periods for the cohort, vigorous activity averaged 1 to 3 minutes/day, and moderate activity averaged 16 minutes/day. Sedentary time averaged 9.3 hours at 3-months postpartum and 8.8 hours at 12-months postpartum, out of a 19-hour day. Average counts/minute increased and sedentary behavior declined from 3- to 12-months postpartum.


CONCLUSIONS
Interventions are needed to help women integrate more moderate to vigorous physical activity and to capitalize on the improvements in sedentary behavior that occur during postpartum.
Dept of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
Kelly R
KR
Evenson
Amy H
AH
Herring
Fang
F
Wen
D056044:Actigraphy; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D009657:North Carolina; D016012:Poisson Distribution; D049590:Postpartum Period; D011247:Pregnancy; D011998:Recreation; D057185:Sedentary Behavior; D057566:Self Report; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D016387:Women's Health; D055815:Young Adult