Physical activity and quality of life in pregnant women in Spain

Systematic reviews on quality of life (QoL) have shown that physical activity (PA) is one of the factors associated with better levels of QoL. Although multiple organizations recommend exercise during pregnancy, its practice decreases significantly. This problem increases in women with obesity.

The purpose of this work is to study the relationship between PA and QoL according to women's weight.

This was an observational study performed in the Reina Sofía Hospital in 2023, focusing on women in the first trimester of pregnancy . PA measurement was carried out with the IPAQ questionnaire, which collects PA and transforms it into METs. One MET corresponds to 3.5 ml O2/kg/min and measures the body's expenditure of energy. QoL was measured with the SF-12, which is a 12-item questionnaire used to assess generic health outcomes from the patient’s perspective. Age, BMI and level of education were also measured.

Fifty-nine women were included. Their sociodemographic characteristics were as follows: age (31 years; SD: 5.9), weeks of gestation (12.8; SD 1.2), weight (78.3 kg; SD: 11.1). As for BMI, 27.1% were classified as having normal weight, 40.7% were overweight and 32.2% were obese. Among those with overweight/obesity, the percentage of women with moderate/high PA was 44%, while in those with normal BMI, it rose to 62%. With respect to QoL, the SF12 score was 85.7% for women with normal weight and 78.5% for overweight or obese women (p=0.02).

In the multivariate analysis, a significant association between PA and QoL was observed, regardless of age and level of education. Obese women with high PA had a higher QoL than those with low PA (p=0.03), but this effect disappeared in women with normal weight (p=0.4).

The level of PA was lower in overweight or obese pregnant women, and the influence of PA on QoL was greater in overweight and obese participants than in women with normal weight. These results support the need to maintain an active lifestyle during pregnancy, particularly in overweight or obese pregnant women.