Activity Tracking Devices in Group Prenatal Care: A Feasibility Study.

Area of Science:

• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Digital Health
• Physical Activity Research

Background:

• Group prenatal care models aim to improve maternal and infant outcomes.
• Activity tracking devices (ATDs) offer objective measures of physical activity.
• Assessing the feasibility of ATDs in group prenatal care is crucial for digital health integration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the feasibility, including protocol adherence and participant satisfaction, of using ATDs within group prenatal care settings.
• To explore the relationship between gestational age and physical activity metrics derived from ATDs.
• To compare energy expenditure estimates between ATDs and self-report measures (PPAQ).

Main Methods:

• A study involving 49 women in group prenatal care who owned smartphones and had no activity restrictions.
• Participants were instructed to wear and sync their ATD daily; adherence and satisfaction were assessed via surveys.
• Mixed models analyzed the association between gestational age and ATD data; energy expenditure was compared between ATD and PPAQ.

Main Results:

• High satisfaction was reported (97% enjoyed wearing, 100% would recommend), but protocol adherence was low (47% wore daily), with common technical issues (27% lost/broken, 22% technical problems).
• ATD data indicated a median of 43.7% active days; significant decreases in steps and active minutes, and increases in sedentary hours, were observed as gestational age advanced (p < 0.001).
• No significant differences in energy expenditure were found between ATD and PPAQ at 28 and 36 weeks of gestation (p = 0.74 and p = 0.27, respectively).

Conclusions:

• While pregnant women express high satisfaction with ATDs in group prenatal care, low adherence and technical challenges necessitate further research.
• Physical activity declines and sedentary time increases with advancing gestational age, highlighting a need for interventions to maintain activity levels.
• Future research should focus on optimizing ATD integration and developing strategies to enhance engagement and adherence throughout pregnancy.