Physical activity during pregnancy and its relationship with gestational weight gain

Abstract

Objective: to describe the physical activity patterns of a cohort comprised by pregnant women from our environment and to explore its association with weight gain in each of the trimesters of pregnancy. Methods: a descriptive and longitudinal study conducted with a sample of 151 women. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire was used to assess physical activity during pregnancy based on volume, intensity and setting where it is performed. Different multiple linear regression models were performed to analyze the association between physical activity and gestational weight gain Results: physical activity decreased during pregnancy, both in terms of time and intensity. Pre-gestational Body Mass Index was the main factor associated with lower weight gain throughout pregnancy. The influence of physical activity on gestational weight gain was limited to the third trimester of pregnancy, where an inverse association was observed between both variables. Conclusion: the results of this study show an important reduction in physical activity during pregnancy and suggest that it exerts a limited influence on gestational weight gain.