Physical Activity During Pregnancy and Its Association With Gestational Weight Gain Among South Carolina Mothers, 2009
type: CreativeWork
description: Purpose: Inadequate or excessive weight gain during pregnancy can increase the risk for adverse maternal and fetal outcomes. Physical activity (PA) during pregnancy has been suggested as a lifestyle intervention to help mothers achieve their target weight gain recommendations. PA during pregnancy has been encouraged, but the knowledge about exercise and its association with weight gain during pregnancy is very limited. Thus, the primary objective of this study is to investigate the association between PA during pregnancy and gestational weight gain (GWG). Specifically, this study focused on two questions: 1) Is PA during pregnancy higher among non-Hispanic white women than women of non-Hispanic black or Other race/ethnicity; and 2) Do women who exercise during pregnancy have an increased odds of gaining weight within the recommended range. Methods: Data came from the 2009 South Carolina Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) (n=883). PA status was assessed in the following ways: 1) PA during pregnancy (yes vs. no); 2) patterns of PA before and during pregnancy; 3) total months of being physically active during pregnancy (0, 1-5, 6-9 months); and 4) physical activity index (PAI) (0, < 19, ¡Ý19). Using prepregnancy weight, women were categorized as underweight (body mass index (BMI) <18.5 kg/m2), normal weight (18.5-24.9), overweight (25.0-29.9), and obese (¡Ý30.0). The Institute of Medicine¡¯s 2009 GWG guidelines was used to determine the status of gestational weight gain (inadequate, adequate, and excessive). Multinomial logistic regression models were used to adjust for potential confounders. Findings: We found 32.1% of the women reported PA during pregnancy. Our sample included 46% of women who were normal weight before entering pregnancy (BMI¡Ü25), with an additional 28.1% of the women being overweight, and 25.8% of the women being obese before pregnancy. We also found PA during pregnancy, PA before and during pregnancy, PAI, and PA months were all s…
abstract: Purpose: Inadequate or excessive weight gain during pregnancy can increase the risk for adverse maternal and fetal outcomes. Physical activity (PA) during pregnancy has been suggested as a lifestyle intervention to help mothers achieve their target weight gain recommendations. PA during pregnancy has been encouraged, but the knowledge about exercise and its association with weight gain during pregnancy is very limited. Thus, the primary objective of this study is to investigate the association between PA during pregnancy and gestational weight gain (GWG). Specifically, this study focused on two questions: 1) Is PA during pregnancy higher among non-Hispanic white women than women of non-Hispanic black or Other race/ethnicity; and 2) Do women who exercise during pregnancy have an increased odds of gaining weight within the recommended range. Methods: Data came from the 2009 South Carolina Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) (n=883). PA status was assessed in the following ways: 1) PA during pregnancy (yes vs. no); 2) patterns of PA before and during pregnancy; 3) total months of being physically active during pregnancy (0, 1-5, 6-9 months); and 4) physical activity index (PAI) (0, < 19, ¡Ý19). Using prepregnancy weight, women were categorized as underweight (body mass index (BMI) <18.5 kg/m2), normal weight (18.5-24.9), overweight (25.0-29.9), and obese (¡Ý30.0). The Institute of Medicine¡¯s 2009 GWG guidelines was used to determine the status of gestational weight gain (inadequate, adequate, and excessive). Multinomial logistic regression models were used to adjust for potential confounders. Findings: We found 32.1% of the women reported PA during pregnancy. Our sample included 46% of women who were normal weight before entering pregnancy (BMI¡Ü25), with an additional 28.1% of the women being overweight, and 25.8% of the women being obese before pregnancy. We also found PA during pregnancy, PA before and during pregnancy, PAI, and PA months were all s…
author: Harris, Shericka Terisha
keywords: Epidemiology, Medicine and Health Sciences, Public Health, Gestational Weight Gain, Maternal Obesity, Physical Activity, Pregnancy
date published: 2011-01-01T08:00:00Z
date modified: 2026-07-24T04:37:34Z
provider: University of South Carolina
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: University of South Carolina