Device-measured and self-reported physical activity during the first two years postpartum in women with recent...

To quantify moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) at postpartum in women with recent gestational diabetes mellitus, using an accelerometer and self-reported measurements from participants of the LINDA-Brasil study.

In a cross-sectional sample (n = 391), MVPA was assessed via a waist-worn accelerometer and the international physical activity questionnaire (IPAQ), focusing on leisure time and commuting domains.

The median postpartum period was 7.3 months (interquartile range [IQR]: 4.0-14.0). When restricted to 10-minute bouts, device-measured MVPA was 22.31 minutes/week (IQR: 0-65.8), whereas total time spent on MVPA was 213.8 minutes/week (IQR: 137.7-320.0). Higher education and pregnancy complications were associated with lower device-based MVPA. Self-reported leisure-time MVPA in 10-minute bouts was 0 minutes/week (IQR: 0-0). However, including commuting time, it increased to 90 minutes/week (IQR: 10.0-210.0). Based on total device-measured MVPA, 71.6% (CI 66.9-76.0) met the recommended 150 minutes/week. This proportion decreased to 8.4% (95% CI: 5.9-11.7) in 10-minute bouts MVPA. Based on the IPAQ, 7.4% (95% CI: 5.0-10.5) reached the guideline through leisure-time activity and 26.8% (95% CI: 22.5-31.5) through combined leisure and commuting.

Women with gestational diabetes mellitus at postpartum were highly active based on device-measured MVPA. Nevertheless, applying the 10-minute bout reduced these estimates across devices and self-reported measurements. These findings provide crucial information for public policies addressing this high-risk population.