Impact of Physical Activity of Pregnant Women on Obstetric Outcomes

Abstract

Regular and well-planned physical activity (PA) has a positive impact on pregnancy outcomes. In this study, we determine the impact of the PA of pregnant women on the occurrence of certain pregnancy outcomes, such as type of labor, duration of pregnancy, and birthweight. The study is based on the results of a Polish national survey performed between 2011 and 2017 on a group of 9170 women. The Pregnancy Physical Activity Questionnaire (PPAQ) was used to estimate the PA of pregnant women. Light intensity PA accounts for the largest proportion of women’s total energy expenditure. Increase in women’s total energy expenditure was associated with an increase in the birthweight of a child. A similar relationship was observed in the case of light and moderate PA. Vaginal birth was more common among women with higher total energy expenditure. Mothers of preterm children showed lower energy expenditure for each type of PA compared to term pregnancies. There was also a correlation between moderate and vigorous PA and low birthweight. Our study indicates that PA undertaken by pregnant women has a positive impact on pregnancy outcomes.