Factors Associated with the Leisure-Time Physical Activity (LTPA) during the First Trimester of the Pregnancy: The Cross-Sectional Study among Pregnant Women in Serbia

• Main Authors: Jovana Todorovic, Zorica Terzic-Supic, Vesna Bjegovic-Mikanovic, Pavle Piperac, Stefan Dugalic, Miroslava Gojnic-Dugalic
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2020-02-01
• Series: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
• Subjects: physical activity; pregnancy; factors; walking
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/4/1366

<i>Background</i>: The benefits of physical activity during pregnancy include lower maternal weight gain, a lower likelihood of gestational diabetes, low back pain, preeclampsia, preterm delivery, caesarian delivery, and macrosomia. This study aimed to examine the factors associated with insufficient leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) during the first trimester. <i>Methods</i>: A cross-sectional study was conducted at the Clinic for Obstetrics and Gynecology of Clinical Center of Serbia, Belgrade, between January and June of 2018. The final analyses included 162/175 pregnant women. The questionnaire was used to obtain social characteristics, pregnancy, and lifestyle characteristics (Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System&#8212;PRAMS), pre-pregnancy LTPA (International Physical Activity Questionnaire&#8212;IPAQ), and LTPA during the first trimester (Pregnancy Physical Activity Questionnaire&#8212;PPAQ). Women were classified into two groups of sufficient and insufficient LTPA during the first trimester based on the recommendations of the World Health Organization. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was applied. <i>Results</i>: A total of 27.2% of the women had insufficient LTPA during pregnancy. Insufficient LTPA during pregnancy was associated with &lt;12 years of education (OR: 2.3, 95% CI: 1.05&#8722;5.04), self-rated financial status as poor (OR: 0.34, 95% CI: 0.14&#8722;0.79), and hours spent walking before pregnancy (OR: 0.87, 95% CI: 0.77&#8722;0.99). <i>Conclusions</i>: Our results can help direct health care professionals advice for women who are planning pregnancy towards walking as it seems to be sustained during pregnancy.