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Recent Patterns of Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour Among Pregnant Adults in Canada
Sebastian A Srugo1, Danilo Fernandes da Silva2, Lynn M Menard3
1Applied Research Division, Centre for Surveillance and Applied Research, Public Health Agency of Canada, Ottawa, ON.
Objective:
To evaluate current levels of physical activity and sedentary behaviour among pregnant and non-pregnant adults in Canada.
Methods:
We ascertained population-based cross-sectional data from the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS), 2015-2019, and the Canadian Health Measures Survey (CHMS), 2007-2019. We included adults who were assigned female at birth and were of reproductive age (aged 18-55 years) living in the provinces. We analyzed activity data from validated questionnaires and accelerometers.
Results:
We included 53 765 adults from the CCHS and 5321 from the CHMS, weighted to represent 16 million people. Based on accelerometers, both pregnant and non-pregnant adults spent 9.5 hours per day (70% of their time) engaged in sedentary behaviour. Across all survey years, ages, and Canadian regions, pregnant adults, especially those aged under 35 years, spent less time engaged in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) compared with non-pregnant adults. Pregnant adults reported 34.3 minutes (95% CI 30.5-38.2) and objectively accrued 14.9 minutes (95% CI 7.9-21.8) in MVPA per day - 15.1 and 8.9 fewer minutes than non-pregnant adults, respectively. After accounting for self-report bias, only 27.5% (95% CI 24.1-31.0) of the pregnant and 41.1% (95% CI 40.4-41.9) of the non-pregnant adults met the Canadian physical activity guidelines (i.e., ≥150 minutes of MVPA per week).
Conclusion:
Physical activity levels are remarkably low among both pregnant and non-pregnant adults, with few meeting current guidelines. Given the substantial physical and mental health benefits, more support is needed to increase pre-pregnancy and prenatal activity in Canada.
