Do pregnant women follow exercise guidelines? Prevalence data among 3482 women, and prediction of low-back pain, pelvic girdle pain and depression.
OBJECTIVE
We describe exercise level in mid-pregnancy, associated sociodemographic variables, and investigate the association between exercise in mid-pregnancy and subsequent low-back pain, pelvic girdle pain and depression at 32 weeks of pregnancy.


METHODS
The study included 3482 pregnant women participating in the Akershus Birth Cohort study (response rate 80.5%). Data were collected by a questionnaire in pregnancy weeks 17-21, pregnancy week 32 and electronic birth journal. The results were analysed by logistic regression and are presented as crude (cOR) and adjusted OR (aOR) with 95% CI.


RESULTS
Only 14.6% of the respondents followed the current exercise prescription for exercise during pregnancy (≥3 times a week, >20 min at moderate intensity). One-third of the study sample exercised less than once a week at pregnancy weeks 17-21. Women exercising either 1-2 times or ≥3 times a week at mid-pregnancy were more often primiparous, higher-educated and had less often prepregnacy body mass index >30 kg/m2 compared with women exercising less than once a week. Women who exercised ≥3 times a week were less likely to report pelvic girdle pain (aOR: 0.76, 95% CI 0.61 to 0.96), while women exercising 1-2 times a week were less likely to report low-back pain (aOR: 0.80, 95% CI 0.66 to 0.97) and depression (aOR: 0.66, 95% CI 0.48 to 0.91).


CONCLUSIONS
Few Norwegian women follow current exercise prescriptions for exercise in mid-pregnancy. The results may indicate an association between exercising mid-pregnancy and lower prevalence of low-back pain, pelvic girdle pain and depression in late pregnancy.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Akershus University Hospital, Lørenskog, Norway. kristinprestholdt@hotmail.no
Kristin
K
Gjestland
Kari
K
Bø
Katrine Mari
KM
Owe
Malin
M
Eberhard-Gran
D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004522:Educational Status; D005081:Exercise Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010298:Parity; D010349:Patient Compliance; D059388:Pelvic Girdle Pain / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011262:Pregnancy Trimester, Second