Pre- and postnatal women's leisure time physical activity patterns: a multilevel longitudinal analysis

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Health
• Exercise Physiology
• Women's Health

Background:

• Understanding physical activity patterns during the perinatal period is crucial for maternal and infant well-being.
• Leisure time physical activity (LTPA) is a key component of a healthy lifestyle, but its changes during and after pregnancy are not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine changes in women's leisure time physical activity (LTPA) from before pregnancy through the first 7 months postpartum.
• To identify individual variations in LTPA trajectories over this period.
• To explore demographic factors influencing these changes.

Main Methods:

• A longitudinal study involving 309 pre- and postnatal women.
• Utilized the 12-month Modifiable Activity Questionnaire to assess LTPA.
• Employed multilevel modeling to analyze growth curves and intraindividual variations in LTPA.

Main Results:

• Significant trends indicated a decline in LTPA during pregnancy, followed by an increase after childbirth.
• Individual LTPA trajectories showed substantial variation around the average growth curve.
• Having other children at home was a significant demographic predictor of LTPA patterns.

Conclusions:

• Women's LTPA undergoes significant, predictable changes across the perinatal period.
• Personalized approaches may be needed to support consistent physical activity in women with varying circumstances.
• Further research into factors influencing postpartum physical activity is warranted.