Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 28, 2026
Author Spotlight: Enhancing the Offspring Health in Rats with Maternal Exercise During Pregnancy
Published on: April 5, 2024
Factors Associated With Physical Activity Before and During Pregnancy: Analysis of 2016-2019 PRAMS Data
Nuha H Abutalib1, Amanda H Wilkerson1, Nayoung Kim1
1College of Human Environmental Sciences, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA.
Objective:
Pregnant women are encouraged to engage in physical activity before and during pregnancy. However, few women in the United States engage in sufficient physical activity during pregnancy. We examined physical activity and factors associated with it before and during pregnancy.
Methods:
We analyzed the most recent data from the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS; 2016-2019) to describe physical activity among women in Alabama and Rhode Island. We used logistic regression models to assess factors associated with physical activity before and during pregnancy.
Results:
Only 14.6% (n = 1178) of the sample (n = 7734; 3621 in Alabama, 4113 in Rhode Island) met physical activity guidelines before pregnancy and 8.8% (n = 666) during pregnancy. Identifying as White (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.46) or non-Hispanic ethnicity (AOR = 1.46), being underweight or normal weight (AOR = 1.98), and residing in Rhode Island (AOR = 1.30) were significantly associated with meeting physical activity guidelines before pregnancy. Being underweight or normal weight (AOR = 1.70) remained a significant variable associated with meeting physical activity guidelines during pregnancy.
Conclusions:
Public health professionals and health care providers may consider factors such as race, ethnicity, and body mass index when working to increase physical activity among women before and during pregnancy.
Related Concept Videos
01:20Lifestyle Factors and Health
Benefits of Physical Activity
Physical activity, whether through structured exercise or casual activities like walking, biking, or dancing, is a cornerstone of a...
01:17Factors Affecting Activity Coefficient
The activity coefficient value for an ion is close to one when the solution has almost zero ionic strength, i.e., when the solution shows close to ideal behavior. As the ionic strength of the solution increases from 0 to 0.1 mol/L, a...
01:28Factors affecting Blood pressure
Physiological Factors:
01:17Exercise and Cardiac Output
Sustained exercise increases the muscles' oxygen demand, which can be...
01:18Factors Affecting Illness
For instance, risk factors are connected to illness,...
01:20Exercise and Cardiovascular Response
Light to moderate physical activity initiates a series of interconnected responses in the body. The heart rate modestly increases in anticipation of the workout, followed by widespread vasodilation as oxygen consumption by skeletal muscles increases. This results in decreased peripheral resistance, increased capillary blood flow, and accelerated...