Effect of intensive counselling on physical activity in pregnant women at high risk for gestational diabetes mellitus. A clinical study in primary care.
OBJECTIVE
The level of physical activity (PA) of pregnant women in Finland is unknown. Even more limited is our knowledge of PA of women at high risk for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).


METHODS
The women (n=54) were randomly assigned to a lifestyle intervention group (n=27) including exercise advice by a physiotherapist six times during pregnancy or to a control group (n=27) without additional exercise advice. Outcomes of the present study were required sample size, timing of counselling and change of PA. PA was retrospectively reported during 12 months before pregnancy and recorded one week monthly during pregnancy.


RESULTS
Individualized counselling by a physiotherapist resulted in small changes of recreational PA (2.7 MET hours/week, p=0.056) up to gestational week 25 compared with the similar decreasing tendency of PA in the control group. The women decreased recreational PA after week 30. Sample size of 550 women at high risk for GDM per group would be needed for a PA study.


CONCLUSIONS
The optimal time window for increasing PA must be earlier than in the last trimester of pregnancy. Sample size for a study to increase PA by 2.7 MET hours/week on pregnant women at high risk of GDM should be about 550 per group.
Department of Internal Medicine, Seinäjoki Central Hospital, Hanneksenrinne 7, FI-60220 Seinäjoki, Finland. eeva.korpi-hyovalti@epshp.fi
Eeva
E
Korpi-Hyövälti
Seppo
S
Heinonen
Ursula
U
Schwab
David E
DE
Laaksonen
Leo
L
Niskanen
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003376:Counseling; D016640:Diabetes, Gestational / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005081:Exercise Therapy; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland; D006801:Humans; D009043:Motor Activity; D011247:Pregnancy; D011264:Pregnancy Trimesters; D011295:Prenatal Care / Q000379:methods*; D011320:Primary Health Care; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior; D018401:Sample Size; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult