Sociodemographic Factors Related to Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior Among Pregnant Women with Overweight and Obese Before Pregnancy
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Abstract
Objectives: This study aimed to examine physical activity and sedentary behavior and the association between sociodemographic factors and both physical activity and sedentary behavior among pregnant women who were overweight or obese before pregnancy. Methods: A descriptive research design was conducted.
A total of 150 pregnant women who were overweight or obese before pregnancy were selected using purposive sampling based on demographic characteristics. Data were collected using three instruments: personal information questionnaires, pregnancy physical activity questionnaires, and sedentary behavior questionnaires between January and August 2021. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the general characteristics, including frequency and percentage. The chi-square test was applied to analyze the relationships between sociodemographic factors and both physical activity and sedentary behavior. Results: The majority (90%) of pregnant women who were overweight or obese before pregnancy maintained adequate levels of physical activity, primarily through routine daily tasks and job-related activities. Furthermore, 81.3% of the participants reported high sedentary behavior, largely due to extended periods of sitting for work and computer use. The analysis identified significant associations between sedentary behavior and factors such as educational attainment, occupation, income sufficiency, and the number of pregnancies. No sociodemographic factors were significantly associated with physical activity. Conclusion: Pregnant women who are overweight or obese before pregnancy should be encouraged to increase physical activity and reduce sedentary behaviors to promote appropriate physical activity, particularly lesure-time or exercise-related activities, to enhance maternal health outcomes.
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