Effect of Regular Exercise Assessed by Pedometer on Pregnancy Outcomes and Maternal Mental Health
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Abstract
Background: We sought to analyze the impact of physical activity and exercise ability, measured with a pedometer, on obstetric and neonatal outcomes.
Methods: Women who engaged, Türkiye in exercise for 30 minutes or longer during pregnancy were classified as the exercise group, whereas those who did not exercise were classified as the control group. The exercise capacity of women was evaluated by a 6-minute walking test utilizing a step counter, and its correlation with pregnancy outcomes was established. Postpartum anxiety levels and satisfaction were evaluated on the first and eighth days postpartum.
Results: The exercise group exhibited a significantly increased step count and length, alongside a reduced incidence of pregnancy problems (P < .05). The duration of labor, initial breastfeeding time, and neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) requirements were significantly reduced in the exercise group (P < .05). A notable disparity was detected between the two groups for anxiety levels and satisfaction and postpartum depression (P < .05).
Conclusion: Regular physical activity throughout gestation positively influences pregnancy outcomes and maternal well-being, without inducing difficulties for either the mother or the infant.
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2. (No authors listed) (2020). Physical activity and Exercise During Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period:ACOG Committee Opinion, Number 804. Obstet Gyne-col,135(4):e178-e188.
3. Joy EA, Mottola MF, Chambliss H (2013). Intergrating exercise is medicine® into the care of pregnant women. Curr Sports Med Rep, 12(4):245-47.
4. Nascimento SL, Surita FG, Cecatti JG (2012). Physical exercise during preg-nancy: a systematic review. Curr Opin Ob-stet Gynecol, 24(6):387-94.
5. Goodman P, Mackey MC, Tavakoli AS (2004). Factors related to childbirth saticfaction. J Adv Nurs, 46(2):212-19.
6. Paluska SA, Schwenk TL (2000). Physical ac-tivity and mental health: current con-septs. Sports Med, 29(3):167-80.
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8. Wolfe LA, Weissgerber TL (2003). Clinical physiology of exercise in pregnancy:a literature review. J Obstet Gynaecol Can, 25(6):473-83.
9. Cedergren M (2006). Effects of gestational weight gain and body mass index on obstetric outcome in Sweden. Int J Gy-naecol Obstet, 93(3):269-74.
10. Cox JL, Holden JM, Sagovsky R (1987). De-tection of postnatal depression. Devel-opment of the 10- item Edinburgh Post-natal Depression Scale. Br J Psychiatry, 150:782-86.
11. Aydin N, Inandi T, Yigit A, et al (2004). Validation of the Turkish version of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale among women within their first postpar-tum year. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol, 39(6):483-86.
12. Karaçam Z, Kitiş Y (2008). The Postpartum Depression Screening Scale:its reliability and validity for t he Turkish popula-tion. Turk Psikiyatri Derg, 19(2):187-96.
13. Campbell MK, Mottola MF (2001). Recrea-tional exercise and occupational activity during pregnancy and birth weight: a case-control study. Am J Obstet Gynecol, 184(3):403-8.
14. Leiferman JA, Evenson KR. (2003). The ef-fect of regular leisure physical activity on birth outcomes. Matern Child Health J, 7(1):59-64.
15. Kramer MS, McDonald SW (2006). Aero-bic exercise for women during pregnan-cy. Cochrane Database Syst Rev, 2006(3):CD000180.
16. Koushkie Jahromi M, Namavar Jahromi B, Hojjati S (2011). Relationship between Daily Activity During Last Month of Pregnancy and Pregnancy Outcome. Iran Red Crescent Med J, 13(1):15-20.
17. Both MI, Overvest MA, Wildhagen MF, et al (2010). The association of daily physi-cal activity and birth outcome: a popula-tion based cohort study. Eur J Epidemiol, 25(6):421-29.
18. Magro-Malosso ER, Saccone G, Di Tom-maso M, et al (2017). Exercise during pregnancy and risk of gestational hyper-tensive disorders: a systematic review and meta-anlysis. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand, 96(8):921-31.
19. Brankston GN, Mitchell BF, Ryan EA, et al (2004). Resistance exercise decreases the need for insulin in overweight women with gestational diabetes mellitus. Am J Obstet Gynecol, 190(1):188–93.
20. Acosta-Manzano P, Rodriguez-Ayllon M, Acosta FM, et al (2020). Beyond general resistance training. Hypertrophy versus muscular endurance training as thera-peutic interventions in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a systematic review and metaanalysis. Obes Rev, 21(6): e13007.
21. Melzer K, Schutz Y, Soehnchen N, et al (2010). Effects of recommended levels of physical activity on pregnancy out-comes. Am J Obstet Gynecol, 202(3):266.e1-6.
22. Waldenstöm U, Borg IM, Olsson B, et al (1996). The childbirth experience :a study of 295 new mothers. Birth, 23(3):144-53.
23. Simavli S, Kaygusuz I, Kafali H (2014). Ef-fect of bupivacaine- soaked spongostan in cesarean section wound on postoper-ative maternal health. Arch Gynecol Obstet, 290(2):249-56.
24. Claesson IM, Klein S, Sydsjö G, et al (2014). Physical activity and psychological well-being in obese pregnant and postpartum women attending a weight-gain re-striction programme. Midwifery, 30(1):11-16.
25. Carter T, Bastounis A, Guo B, et al (2019). The effectiveness of exercises-based in-terventions for preventing or treating postpartum depression: a systematic re-view and meta-analysis. Arch Womens Ment Health, 22(1):37-53.
26. Payotes-Leon R, Garcia-Hermoso A, Sana-bria-Martinez G, et al (2017). Effects of exercise- based interventions on post-partum depression: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Birth, 44(3):200-208.
27. Pritchett RV, Daley AJ, Jolly K (2017). Does aerobic exercise reduce postpartum de-pressive symptoms? Br J Gen Pract, 67(663):e684-e691.
28. Mccurdy AP, Boule NG, Sivak A, et al (2017). Effects of Exercise on Mild-to-Moderate Depressive Symptoms in the Postpartum Period: A Meta-analysis. Ob-stet Gynecol, 129(6):1087-1097.
2. (No authors listed) (2020). Physical activity and Exercise During Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period:ACOG Committee Opinion, Number 804. Obstet Gyne-col,135(4):e178-e188.
3. Joy EA, Mottola MF, Chambliss H (2013). Intergrating exercise is medicine® into the care of pregnant women. Curr Sports Med Rep, 12(4):245-47.
4. Nascimento SL, Surita FG, Cecatti JG (2012). Physical exercise during preg-nancy: a systematic review. Curr Opin Ob-stet Gynecol, 24(6):387-94.
5. Goodman P, Mackey MC, Tavakoli AS (2004). Factors related to childbirth saticfaction. J Adv Nurs, 46(2):212-19.
6. Paluska SA, Schwenk TL (2000). Physical ac-tivity and mental health: current con-septs. Sports Med, 29(3):167-80.
7. Hamer M, Endrighi R, Poole L (2012). Phys-ical activity, stress reduction, and mood: insight into immunological mechanisms. Methods Mol Biol, 934:89-102.
8. Wolfe LA, Weissgerber TL (2003). Clinical physiology of exercise in pregnancy:a literature review. J Obstet Gynaecol Can, 25(6):473-83.
9. Cedergren M (2006). Effects of gestational weight gain and body mass index on obstetric outcome in Sweden. Int J Gy-naecol Obstet, 93(3):269-74.
10. Cox JL, Holden JM, Sagovsky R (1987). De-tection of postnatal depression. Devel-opment of the 10- item Edinburgh Post-natal Depression Scale. Br J Psychiatry, 150:782-86.
11. Aydin N, Inandi T, Yigit A, et al (2004). Validation of the Turkish version of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale among women within their first postpar-tum year. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol, 39(6):483-86.
12. Karaçam Z, Kitiş Y (2008). The Postpartum Depression Screening Scale:its reliability and validity for t he Turkish popula-tion. Turk Psikiyatri Derg, 19(2):187-96.
13. Campbell MK, Mottola MF (2001). Recrea-tional exercise and occupational activity during pregnancy and birth weight: a case-control study. Am J Obstet Gynecol, 184(3):403-8.
14. Leiferman JA, Evenson KR. (2003). The ef-fect of regular leisure physical activity on birth outcomes. Matern Child Health J, 7(1):59-64.
15. Kramer MS, McDonald SW (2006). Aero-bic exercise for women during pregnan-cy. Cochrane Database Syst Rev, 2006(3):CD000180.
16. Koushkie Jahromi M, Namavar Jahromi B, Hojjati S (2011). Relationship between Daily Activity During Last Month of Pregnancy and Pregnancy Outcome. Iran Red Crescent Med J, 13(1):15-20.
17. Both MI, Overvest MA, Wildhagen MF, et al (2010). The association of daily physi-cal activity and birth outcome: a popula-tion based cohort study. Eur J Epidemiol, 25(6):421-29.
18. Magro-Malosso ER, Saccone G, Di Tom-maso M, et al (2017). Exercise during pregnancy and risk of gestational hyper-tensive disorders: a systematic review and meta-anlysis. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand, 96(8):921-31.
19. Brankston GN, Mitchell BF, Ryan EA, et al (2004). Resistance exercise decreases the need for insulin in overweight women with gestational diabetes mellitus. Am J Obstet Gynecol, 190(1):188–93.
20. Acosta-Manzano P, Rodriguez-Ayllon M, Acosta FM, et al (2020). Beyond general resistance training. Hypertrophy versus muscular endurance training as thera-peutic interventions in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a systematic review and metaanalysis. Obes Rev, 21(6): e13007.
21. Melzer K, Schutz Y, Soehnchen N, et al (2010). Effects of recommended levels of physical activity on pregnancy out-comes. Am J Obstet Gynecol, 202(3):266.e1-6.
22. Waldenstöm U, Borg IM, Olsson B, et al (1996). The childbirth experience :a study of 295 new mothers. Birth, 23(3):144-53.
23. Simavli S, Kaygusuz I, Kafali H (2014). Ef-fect of bupivacaine- soaked spongostan in cesarean section wound on postoper-ative maternal health. Arch Gynecol Obstet, 290(2):249-56.
24. Claesson IM, Klein S, Sydsjö G, et al (2014). Physical activity and psychological well-being in obese pregnant and postpartum women attending a weight-gain re-striction programme. Midwifery, 30(1):11-16.
25. Carter T, Bastounis A, Guo B, et al (2019). The effectiveness of exercises-based in-terventions for preventing or treating postpartum depression: a systematic re-view and meta-analysis. Arch Womens Ment Health, 22(1):37-53.
26. Payotes-Leon R, Garcia-Hermoso A, Sana-bria-Martinez G, et al (2017). Effects of exercise- based interventions on post-partum depression: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Birth, 44(3):200-208.
27. Pritchett RV, Daley AJ, Jolly K (2017). Does aerobic exercise reduce postpartum de-pressive symptoms? Br J Gen Pract, 67(663):e684-e691.
28. Mccurdy AP, Boule NG, Sivak A, et al (2017). Effects of Exercise on Mild-to-Moderate Depressive Symptoms in the Postpartum Period: A Meta-analysis. Ob-stet Gynecol, 129(6):1087-1097.
| Files | ||
| Issue | Vol 54 No 10 (2025) | |
| Section | Original Article(s) | |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.18502/ijph.v54i10.20140 | |
| Keywords | ||
| Exercise Pregnancy Neonatal Depression Maternal health | ||
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How to Cite
1.
Simavli S, Caglayan E, Ulas D, Kosus A, Kosus N, Kaygusuz I. Effect of Regular Exercise Assessed by Pedometer on Pregnancy Outcomes and Maternal Mental Health. Iran J Public Health. 2025;54(10):2223-2232.
