Measurement of Barriers, Attitudes, and Expectations for Sitting Less in Pregnancy

Our objective was to develop, validate, and describe findings from an instrument to measure barriers, attitudes, and outcome expectations of sitting less in pregnant women.

This validation (sub-study 1) and descriptive study (sub-study 2) evaluated a new questionnaire measuring sedentary time in pregnant women (N=131) in each trimester.

In sub-study 1, construct validity was supported by associations between device-measured sedentary time and questionnaire scores. An optimized questionnaire removed infrequently reported and non-correlated items. The original and optimized questionnaires with scoring instructions are provided. In sub-study 2, physical symptoms and work were most commonly reported as major reasons for sitting in pregnancy, followed by leisure, family, and social activities. Some women reported limiting sitting due to boredom/restlessness, to improve energy or health, and to control weight. In the third trimester, some women reported sitting more/less due to pain and encouragement from family, friends, and co-workers. Few women reported household chores or pregnancy risks as reasons to sit, felt sitting was healthy or necessary during pregnancy, or were encouraged to sit by healthcare providers.

The developed questionnaire demonstrated validity and identified barriers to and expectations of sitting less during pregnancy. Prenatal interventions to reduce sitting should address general and pregnancy-specific barriers.