title: The effects of physical activity and physical activity plus diet interventions on body weight in overweight or obese women who are pregnant or in postpartum: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To review the effectiveness of physical activity (PA) and PA plus diet interventions in managing weight among overweight or obese (OW/OB) pregnant or postpartum women.
  
  
  METHODS
  Four databases were searched for randomized controlled studies published between January 2000 and December 2011 that reported weight change outcomes of PA interventions in OW/OB pregnant or postpartum women. PA alone as well as PA plus diet interventions were included.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 681 abstracts identified, 11 were included (7 trials with pregnant women and 4 trials with postpartum women). Overall, we found that PA interventions were effective for OW/OB pregnant as well as postpartum women. On average, pregnant women in the intervention groups gained 0.91kg less (95% CI: -1.76, -0.06) compared with those in the usual care groups. Postpartum women in the intervention groups significantly lost more body weight (-1.22kg; 95% CI: -1.89, -0.56) than those in the control groups. In the subgroup analyses by PA intervention types, supervised PA plus diet interventions were the most effective.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PA plus diet interventions may require more than advice; supervised PA programs or personalized prescription/goals are needed to prevent excessive weight gain for OW/OB pregnant women and excessive weight retention for OW/OB postpartum women.
authors.affiliation: University of California at San Francisco, Institute of Health & Aging, San Francisco, CA 94118, USA. jiwon.choi@nursing.ucsf.edu
authors.forename: JiWon
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Yoshimi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fukuoka
authors.forename: Ji Hyeon
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D015992:Body Mass Index; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D009043:Motor Activity; D009765:Obesity / Q000178:diet therapy / Q000628:therapy; D050177:Overweight / Q000178:diet therapy / Q000628:therapy*; D049590:Postpartum Period; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000178:diet therapy / Q000628:therapy*; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D015430:Weight Gain