Association of physical activity and sedentary behavior with depression and anxiety symptoms during pregnancy in a multiethnic cohort of Asian women.
This study aimed to investigate associations of physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior (SB) with depression and anxiety symptoms during pregnancy among Chinese, Malay, and Indian women.



Women answered PA and SB (sitting time and television time) interview questions and self-completed the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) questionnaires, at week 26-28 gestation. Sufficient levels of PA (≥600MET-minutes/week) and higher sitting time (≥7 h/day) were determined. Associations of PA and SB with probable antenatal depression (EPDS-score ≥15), higher state anxiety (score ≥42), and higher trait anxiety (score ≥43) were determined by logistic regression analysis.



Among the 1144 pregnant women included in the study, 7.3, 22.5, and 23.6 % had probable antenatal depression, higher state anxiety, and higher trait anxiety symptoms, respectively. In the adjusted models, women with sufficient level of PA were less likely to have probable antenatal depression (OR 0.54, 95 % CI 0.31-0.94, p = 0.030) and higher trait anxiety symptoms (OR 0.68, 95 % CI 0.48-0.94, p = 0.022). PA was not associated with state anxiety symptoms. SB was not associated with any of the investigated outcomes.



Sufficient PA was associated with a reduced likelihood of probable antenatal depression and trait anxiety symptoms. Further investigation of these findings is warranted to determine cause-effect relationships and identify potential preventive strategies.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore. obgnp@nus.edu.sg.
Natarajan
0000-0002-6077-6316
N
Padmapriya
Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Agency for Science and Technology Research (A*STAR), Brenner Centre for Molecular Medicine, Singapore, Singapore.
Jonathan Y
JY
Bernard
Biostatistics Unit, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
Shen
S
Liang
KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore, Singapore.
See Ling
SL
Loy
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
Zhe
Z
Shen
KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore, Singapore.|Duke-National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
Kenneth
K
Kwek
Medical Research Council Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit, Southampton, UK.|NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre, University of Southampton and University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK.
Keith M
KM
Godfrey
Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Agency for Science and Technology Research (A*STAR), Brenner Centre for Molecular Medicine, Singapore, Singapore.|Liggins Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
Peter D
PD
Gluckman
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 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), Brenner Centre for Molecular Medicine, Singapore, Singapore.
Yap-Seng
YS
Chong
Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
Seang Mei
SM
Saw
Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Agency for Science and Technology Research (A*STAR), Brenner Centre for Molecular Medicine, Singapore, Singapore.
Michael J
MJ
Meaney
KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore, Singapore.|Duke-National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
Helen
H
Chen
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.
Falk
F
Müller-Riemenschneider
D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D015444:Exercise / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D016015:Logistic Models; D011247:Pregnancy; D037841:Pregnant People / Q000523:psychology*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D057185:Sedentary Behavior; D013732:Test Anxiety Scale
Anxiety; Depression; Physical activity; Pregnancy; Sedentary behavior