Physical activity and sedentary behaviour during pregnancy are associated with gestational weight gain in Vietnamese...

Gestational weight gain is known to impact maternal and child health outcomes. Energy intake and energy expenditure are major components of clinical nutrition in relation to weight gain during pregnancy. The study was to determine the association of physical activity and sitting time during pregnancy with gestational weight gain in Vietnamese women.

A multicentre prospective cohort study was conducted in Vietnam from 2015 to 2017. A total of 1873 women with a singleton pregnancy were included. Physical activity and sitting exposures during pregnancy were determined using an interviewer-administered validated questionnaire. Multiple regression analysis was performed to assess physical activity and sitting time in relation to gestational weight gain, adjusting for the confounding effects of maternal characteristics and total energy intake during pregnancy.

The mean weight gain was 12.9 (Standard deviation 4.1) kg throughout pregnancy. Pregnant women with prolonged sitting time gained an average of 0.6 kg more weight (p=0.016 for highest versus lowest tertiles). Conversely, women who were physically active, in terms of having higher tertiles of total physical activity, moderate-to-vigorous-intensity, household/ caregiving activities, and occupational physical activity, experienced significantly less gestational weight gain (p<0.05 for highest versus lowest tertiles).

Inverse associations were found between gestational weight gain and physical activity (i.e. intensities and several domains), whereas gestational weight gain tended to increase with longer sitting time. Therefore, being physically active and less sedentary is important to regulate weight gain during pregnancy.