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Postnatal exercise interventions: a systematic review of adherence and effect.
Edward Mullins1,2,3, Shalini Sharma4, Alison H McGregor5
1Department of Metabolism, Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London Faculty of Medicine, London, UK edward.mullins@ic.ac.uk.
BMJ Open
|October 1, 2021
Summary
Postnatal physical activity (PA) interventions show varied adherence and effects. Supervised programs had better adherence and lower loss to follow-up than unsupervised ones, though overall study quality was low.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive Medicine
- Public Health
- Exercise Science
Background:
- Postnatal physical activity (PA) is crucial for maternal health.
- Interventions aim to improve adherence and outcomes in the postnatal year.
- Evidence on effectiveness and adherence requires systematic evaluation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate adherence to and the effects of physical activity (PA) interventions in the postnatal period.
- To compare supervised versus unsupervised PA interventions.
- To identify gaps in research quality and reporting.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of PA interventions in postnatal women.
- Searches conducted in Embase, MEDLINE, and Cochrane CENTRAL up to January 2021.
- Included studies assessed PA within the first postnatal year; data extracted and risk of bias assessed.
Main Results:
- 25 studies with 1466 women were included; interventions varied widely in intensity and duration.
- Adherence was lower (73.6%) and loss to follow-up higher (14.5%) in unsupervised versus supervised PA interventions.
- PA interventions showed consistent benefits for physical fitness and fatigue reduction, with no adverse effects on breastfeeding reported.
Conclusions:
- Existing studies on postnatal PA interventions have inconsistent findings and high risk of bias.
- Supervised interventions demonstrate better adherence and lower attrition.
- High-quality research is needed to optimize the delivery and impact of PA interventions on maternal physical and mental health.
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