title: Postpartum physical activity after preeclampsia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  After mild and severe preeclampsia, to assess whether women meet the physical activity recommendation at 3 and 6months postpartum, and whether demographic, obstetric and anthropometric characteristics, mental health, and health-related quality of life are associated with less physical activity than recommended.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective cohort study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Self-reported physical activity in MET-min/week, percentage of women who fail to meet the physical activity recommendation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Of the 255 women diagnosed with preeclampsia invited to participate in this prospective cohort study, 174 (68%) provided informed consent. Analyses were restricted to 141 participants who completed the short form of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire at 3 and/or 6months postpartum. Logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate changes in physical activity level over time, and to establish which variables were associated with failure to meet the postpartum physical activity recommendation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At both 3 and 6months postpartum, 38% of women failed to meet the physical activity recommendation. Failure was associated with severe preeclampsia, cesarean section, admission to the neonatal intensive care unit, low gestational age at delivery, and low birth weight (all p<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There seems to be a need to stimulate physical activity in about one third of women after a pregnancy complicated by preeclampsia, particularly in case of severe preeclampsia and other adverse pregnancy outcomes. Tailored lifestyle interventions are needed for women who fail to meet the recommendation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Erasmus University Medical Center, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Electronic address: m.hoedjes@erasmusmc.nl.
authors.forename: Meeke
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hoedjes
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Division of Obstetrics and Prenatal Medicine, Erasmus University Medical Center, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Durk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Berks
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Erasmus University Medical Center, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Ineke
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Vogel
authors.affiliation: Division of Woman and Baby, University Medical Center Utrecht, 3508 GA Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Arie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Franx
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Promotion and Health Education, Maastricht University, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Anke
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Oenema
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Division of Obstetrics and Prenatal Medicine, Erasmus University Medical Center, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Johannes J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Duvekot
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Erasmus University Medical Center, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: J Dik F
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Habbema
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Division of Obstetrics and Prenatal Medicine, Erasmus University Medical Center, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Eric A P
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Steegers
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Erasmus University Medical Center, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Hein
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Raat
keywords: Physical activity; Postpartum period [mesh]; Pre-eclampsia [mesh]