Exercise during pregnancy and its association with gestational weight gain

Area of Science:

• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Public Health
• Sports Medicine

Background:

• Excessive gestational weight gain is a significant public health concern.
• Meeting weight gain recommendations during pregnancy is crucial for maternal and infant health.
• Understanding factors influencing gestational weight gain is essential for developing effective interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between exercise during pregnancy and adherence to gestational weight gain recommendations.
• To determine if regular physical activity influences the likelihood of inadequate, adequate, or excessive gestational weight gain.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from the 2009 South Carolina Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (n=856).
• Assessed exercise participation (frequency, duration, type) and developed an exercise index (EI).
• Employed multinomial logistic regression to analyze gestational weight gain categories (inadequate, adequate, excessive) adjusted for confounders.

Main Results:

• Over 46% of women exceeded recommended gestational weight gain.
• Women exercising regularly (≥3 times/week) were more likely to meet recommendations (32.7% vs. 18.7%) and had lower odds of excessive gain (AOR 0.43).
• Higher exercise index (EI) and longer exercise duration (6-9 months) were associated with significantly lower odds of excessive gestational weight gain (AORs 0.20 and 0.26, respectively).

Conclusions:

• Promoting exercise during pregnancy is vital to combat high rates of excessive gestational weight gain.
• Physical activity interventions can support women in achieving recommended weight gain targets.
• Exercise is a modifiable factor that can positively impact pregnancy outcomes related to weight management.