Prática de atividade física na gestação: barreiras, tendências e efeitos sobre os sintomas depressivos no período pós-parto

Abstract

Current guidelines recommends that pregnant women should engage in moderate-intensity physical activity for at least 30 minutes on the majority of the days of the week to obtain mother-child health-related benefits. However, the gestational period has been associated to declines in physical activity levels among women of reproductive age and the literature has shown that inactivity is very common during pregnancy. Although the benefits of regular physical activity during pregnancy are being increasingly documented in the literature, the effects of physical activity during pregnancy on some health outcomes requires a broader understand. This PhD thesis aimed to summarize the perceived barriers to physical activity practice during pregnancy; evaluate time changes in leisure-time physical activity during pregnancy in the period from 2004 to 2015 and, to evaluate the effects of an exercise intervention during pregnancy on the incidence of postpartum depressive symptoms. In the first article perceived barriers to leisure-time physical activity during pregnancy were identified by performing a literature review of quantitative and qualitative evidence. Pregnancy-related symptoms and limitations barriers were the most reported in the studies. Mother-child safety concerns, lack of advice and, lack of social support were also important emphasized pregnancy-related barriers. In the second article, we evaluated time changes in leisure-time physical activity during pregnancy in an 11-year period by comparing data from the 2004 and 2015 Pelotas birth cohort studies. Findings showed that the prevalence of physical activity during pregnancy declined over time. In the third article, the effects of an exercise intervention during pregnancy on postpartum depressive symptoms were evaluated by conducting a randomized control trial nested to the 2015 Pelotas Birth Cohort Study (PAMELA Trial). Findings showed that the incidence of probable major depression was lower among pregnant women from the intervention group when compared to the control group (no exercise intervention).