Abstract
The mental and physical health benefits of exercise during pregnancy highlight the
importance of understanding the determinants of pregnant women's physical activity.
This paper presents a review of the existing research on pregnancy and physical activity,
in order to (a) summarize the existing body of literature since 1986 examining changes
in physical activity during pregnancy, (b) summarize correlates and predictors of
physical activity during pregnancy, and (c) present directions for future research.
A literature search yielded 25 articles published from 1986 to 2009 in English peer-reviewed
journals. The major findings were categorized into the following: (a) exercise patterns,
(b) demographic correlates/predictors, (c) the influence of pre-pregnancy exercise
on pregnancy exercise, (d) theory-based predictors and (f) other correlates of exercise
(e.g. general health and safety concerns). Results indicated that pregnant women are
less active than non-pregnant women and that pregnancy leads to a decrease in physical
activity. Consistent demographic predictors of higher exercise participation during
pregnancy include higher education and income, not having other children in the home,
being white, and being more active prior to becoming pregnancy. Only a few studies
used theoretical models to understand physical activity during pregnancy with varied
results. The review outlines demographic and theory-based correlates/predictors that
should be taken into consideration when developing interventions to increase physical
activity among pregnant women.
Keywords
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Article Info
Publication History
Published online: March 21, 2011
Accepted:
February 19,
2011
Received in revised form:
November 2,
2010
Received:
February 2,
2010
Identification
Copyright
© 2011 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
