Midwives' Knowledge, Attitudes, and Professional Practices Regarding Prenatal Physical Activity.

Area of Science:

• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Public Health
• Midwifery Practice

Background:

• Prenatal physical activity (PA) is vital for maternal and infant health.
• Many pregnant women do not meet recommended PA levels.
• Midwives are key in promoting prenatal PA, but their counseling practices are under-researched.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess midwives' knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding prenatal PA.
• To understand the information content and communication methods used by midwives for prenatal PA guidance.
• To identify factors influencing midwives' prenatal PA counseling.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in Quebec.
• An electronic questionnaire with quantitative and qualitative questions was administered to midwives.
• Fifty midwives participated in the study.

Main Results:

• Only 56% of midwives were aware of the latest Canadian PA guidelines.
• Provided PA recommendations were often conservative and varied in accuracy.
• 90% provided PA information, 84% used bidirectional communication, but 84% felt their counseling was suboptimal due to knowledge gaps.

Conclusions:

• Midwifery knowledge and practices regarding prenatal PA require improvement.
• Enhanced training is needed to boost midwives' confidence and skills in promoting prenatal PA.
• Addressing knowledge deficits can optimize prenatal PA guidance for pregnant women.