Research
Obstetrics
Exercise during pregnancy improves maternal health perception: a randomized controlled trial

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Objective

We have studied the effect of moderate physical activity that is performed by healthy women during their entire pregnancy on their perception of health status.

Study Design

Eighty sedentary women were assigned randomly to either an exercise group (n = 40) or a control group (n = 40). Maternal perception of health status and several pregnancy outcomes were recorded.

Results

Significant differences (P = .03) were found between study groups in the percentage of women who perceived their health status as “very good”; the values that corresponded to the exercise group (n = 18; 54.5%) were better than those of the control group (n = 9; 27.3%). In addition, the women of the exercise group gained less weight (11,885 ± 3146 g) than those of the control group (13,903 ± 2113; P = .03).

Conclusion

A moderate physical activity program that is performed over the first, second, and third trimester of pregnancy improves the maternal perception of health status.

Section snippets

Materials and Methods

The present study was a randomized, controlled training trial. We contacted a total of 360 Spanish (white) women in a low-to-medium socioeconomic class (the contact was made by the obstetrician during the first prenatal visit). From the initial number of pregnant women, finally 67 women were studied (Figure). The research protocol was reviewed and approved by our Ethics Committee and followed the ethical guidelines of the Declaration of Helsinki, which was last modified in 2008. The research

Results

Our results are presented in Table 1 (maternal characteristics), Table 2 (maternal perception of state of health and frequency of pregnant women to lose urine), and Table 3 (pregnancy outcomes).

According to our analysis and regarding adherence to training and its possible adverse effects, we report that 6 women from the EG discontinued the intervention because of diagnosed risk for premature labor (n = 1), pregnancy-induced hypertension (n = 1), and personal reasons (n = 4). Seven participants

Comment

The aim of the present work was to study the possible effects of aerobic exercise during pregnancy on the perception of maternal health status, weight gain during pregnancy, and urinary incontinence. Our results showed an increased perception of health status in the EG (P = .03). This is in accordance with authors who reported physical activity as a factor to improve the perception of maternal health or health-promoting lifestyles.33 A number of authors reported that the physical exercise acts

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    Authorship and contribution to the article is limited to the 5 authors indicated. There was no outside funding or technical assistance with the production of this article.

    Cite this article as: Barakat R, Pelaez M, Montejo R, et al. Exercise during pregnancy improves maternal health perception: a randomized controlled trial. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2011;204:402.e1-7.

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