title: Physical Activity During Pregnancy and Subsequent Risk of Preeclampsia and Gestational Hypertension: A Case Control Study.
abstract: Physical activity (PA) is hypothesized to reduce the risk of preeclampsia, but few epidemiologic studies have simultaneously evaluated leisure time PA (LTPA), sedentary activity, occupational activity, and non-occupational, non-leisure time PA. Thus, we assessed the independent and combined effects of these different types of PA during pregnancy on preeclampsia and gestational hypertension risk.
  
  
  
  Preeclamptic (n = 258), gestational hypertensive (n = 233), and normotensive (n = 182) women identified from Iowa live birth records (2002-2005) were participants in Study of Pregnancy Hypertension in Iowa. Disease status was verified by medical chart review. All PA exposures were self-reported. Multinomial logistic regression was used to test for associations between various PA types and risk for preeclampsia or gestational hypertension.
  
  
  
  After adjusting for prepregnancy BMI, increasing levels of LTPA were associated with a reduced risk of preeclampsia (trend, p = 0.02). Additionally, increasing amount of time spent active each day was associated with decreasing risks for preeclampsia (adjusted, trend; p = 0.03). Increasing amount of time spent sitting per day was associated with an increasing risk of preeclampsia (adjusted, trend; p = 0.10). Women whose activity averaged >8.25 h per day were at a significantly reduced risk of preeclampsia relative to women active <4.2 h per day (adjusted OR 0.58, 95 % CI 0.36, 0.95). Most analyses evaluating the risk of gestational hypertension yielded null results or results that trended in the direction opposite of the preeclampsia results.
  
  
  
  Consistent with previous studies, these data suggest increasing PA during pregnancy may reduce preeclampsia risk while increasing levels of sedentary activity may increase disease risk.
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, 5100 Genetic Medicine Building, CB# 7264, 120 Mason Farm Road, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA.
authors.forename: Cassandra N
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Spracklen
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, University of Iowa College of Public Health, 145 South Riverside Drive, S414 CPHB, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA.
authors.forename: Kelli K
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Ryckman
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.
authors.forename: Elizabeth W
authors.initials: EW
authors.lastname: Triche
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, University of Iowa College of Public Health, 145 South Riverside Drive, S414 CPHB, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA. audrey-saftlas@uiowa.edu.
authors.forename: Audrey F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Saftlas
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004651:Employment; D016021:Epidemiologic Studies; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D046110:Hypertension, Pregnancy-Induced / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D007484:Iowa / Q000453:epidemiology; D007899:Leisure Activities; D016015:Logistic Models; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D012307:Risk Factors; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Gestational hypertension; Occupational activity; Physical activity; Preeclampsia; Pregnancy-induced hypertension