title: Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior Patterns Before and During Pregnancy in a Multi-ethnic Sample of Asian Women in Singapore.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior (SB) patterns before and during pregnancy among Chinese, Malay and Indian women. In addition, to investigate determinants of change in PA and SB during pregnancy.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Growing Up in Singapore Towards healthy Outcomes cohort recruited first trimester pregnant women. PA and SB (sitting time and television time) before and during pregnancy were assessed as a part of an interview questionnaire at weeks 26-28 gestational clinic visit. Total energy expenditure (TEE) on PA and time in SB were calculated. Determinants of change in PA and SB were investigated using multiple logistic regression analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  PA and SB questions were answered by 94 % (n = 1171) of total recruited subjects. A significant reduction in TEE was observed from before to during pregnancy [median 1746.0-1039.5 metabolic equivalent task (MET) min/week, p < 0.001]. The proportion of women insufficiently active (<600 MET-min/week) increased from 19.0 to 34.1 % (p <0.001). Similarly, sitting time (median 56.0-63.0 h/week, p < 0.001) and television time (mean 16.1-16.7 h/week, p = 0.01) increased. Women with higher household income, lower level of perceived health, nausea/vomiting during pregnancy and higher level of pre-pregnancy PA were more likely to reduce PA. Women with children were less likely to reduce PA. Women reporting nausea/vomiting and lower level of pre-pregnancy sitting time were more likely to increase sitting time.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Participants substantially reduced PA and increased SB by 26-28 weeks of pregnancy. Further research is needed to better understand determinants of change in PA and SB and develop effective health promotion strategies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, National University Health System, Singapore, Singapore. obgnp@nus.edu.sg.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Padmapriya
authors.affiliation: Biostatistics Unit, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, National University Health System, Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: Liang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.|Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Agency for Science and Technology Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: Shu-E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Soh
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, National University Health System, Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: Zhe
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.affiliation: KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: Kenneth
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kwek
authors.affiliation: MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit and NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust and University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.
authors.forename: Keith M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Godfrey
authors.affiliation: Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Agency for Science and Technology Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore.|Liggins Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Peter D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Gluckman
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, National University Health System, Singapore, Singapore.|Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Agency for Science and Technology Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: Yap-Seng
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Chong
authors.affiliation: Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: Seang-Mei
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Saw
authors.affiliation: Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.|Institute for Social Medicine, Epidemiology and Health Economics, Charite University Medical Centre, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Falk
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Müller-Riemenschneider
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D044466:Asian People / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D007899:Leisure Activities; D009043:Motor Activity; D011247:Pregnancy; D037841:Pregnant People / Q000208:ethnology; D057185:Sedentary Behavior / Q000208:ethnology*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013690:Television
keywords: Changes in pregnancy; Physical activity; Pregnancy; Sedentary behavior; Television