Exercise Counseling in Pregnancy: Do Women Perceive Receiving the Information They Need?

Area of Science:

• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Public Health
• Exercise Science

Background:

• The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends exercise during pregnancy.
• Prenatal exercise counseling is crucial for maternal health but may be inconsistently provided.
• Understanding patient perception of counseling is key to improving care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if pregnant women perceive receiving comprehensive exercise counseling, including the FITT principle (frequency, intensity, type, time).
• To identify disparities in exercise counseling based on demographic and socioeconomic factors.

Main Methods:

• A voluntary, anonymous survey was administered to 224 postpartum women in a large healthcare system.
• Participants reported on perceived exercise counseling received during prenatal care.
• Data were analyzed descriptively and using Fisher's exact tests, stratified by demographics.

Main Results:

• 58.0% of women perceived receiving exercise counseling; 91.5% did not recall counseling on exercise frequency.
• Despite 73.6% exercising pre-pregnancy, 38.8% ceased during pregnancy.
• Privately insured women received counseling more often (70.1%) than Medicaid (44.8%) or uninsured (40.0%) women (P = .004).

Conclusions:

• A significant number of pregnant women perceive inadequate or incomplete prenatal exercise counseling.
• Women with socioeconomic disadvantages appear more vulnerable to receiving insufficient counseling.
• Targeted, inclusive, and equitable messaging is needed to address barriers and improve prenatal exercise guidance.