Abstract

TENDAIS, Iva; FIGUEIREDO, Bárbara  and  MOTA, Jorge. Actividade física e qualidade de vida na gravidez. Aná. Psicológica [online]. 2007, vol.25, n.3, pp.489-501. ISSN 0870-8231.

Background: Little is know about the impact of pregnancy in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and in physical activity patterns. The objectives of this study were 1) to compare physical activity patterns before and during pregnancy, 2) to evaluate HRQoL among pregnant women until six months pregnancy and 3) to compare HRQoL between sufficiently and insufficiently active women considering the public health recommendations. Methods: Longitudinal study with 59 pregnant women (20-39 years of age) recruited in private obstetric clinics. At 10-15 weeks gestation, socio-demographic and medical information was collected, as well as physical activity levels three months prior to conception. Self-report measures were administered at 10-15 weeks and 19-24 weeks gestation to assess work, leisure and transportation-time physical activity and HRQoL. Results: The prevalence of recommended activity is lower during pregnancy than prepregnancy (16.7% and 17.5% in 1st and 2nd trimesters, respectively, vs. 47.4% prepregnancy). After conception, there were no changes in physical activity time, but leisure-time physical activity showed a decrease from prepregnancy to 1st trimester of gestation. Compared to Portuguese normative data, pregnant women demonstrate a more positive HRQoL on almost every domains of SF-36 in the first two trimesters of pregnancy. In the 2nd trimester of pregnancy, the level of impairment is significantly higher in physical HRQoL, with the exception of Bodily Pain, as well as on the SF-36 physical and mental component summary score. Women meeting recommended levels of leisure physical activity at 10-15 weeks (≥150 minutes per week) reported better general health and more positive mood states compared to less active women. Conclusions: In spite of the decline observed during pregnancy, leisure-time physical activity has a positive impact in pregnant’s general health status and mood states suggesting its importance for women’s health also during this life period.

Keywords : Psysical activity; pregnancy; quality of life; depression.

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