Impact of physical activity and traumatic exposure on occurrence of gestational hypertension: a survey of pregnant women in an armed-conflict region in Nigeria

Background: No specific physical activity guidelines are available for women in multiple pregnancy. Aim of the study was to assess the knowledge and experience of women regarding physical activity during their latest twin pregnancy. Methods: A cross-sectional study including women after a twin delivery was conducted in Poland. A questionnaire was distributed in 2018 via web pages and Facebook groups designed for pregnant women. Results: 652 women filled out the questionnaire completely. Only 25% of women performed any physical exercises during twin gestation. The frequency of preterm delivery was similar in physically active and non-active participants. 35% of the respondents claimed to have gained information on proper activity from obstetricians during antenatal counselling while 11% claimed to be unable to identify the reliable sources of information. 7% of women admitted to feel discriminated by social opinion on exercising during a twin pregnancy. Conclusions: The population of women with a twin gestation is not sufficiently physically active and is often discouraged from performing exercises during gestation. Therefore, it is crucial to inform obstetricians to recommend active lifestyle during a twin gestation and to provide reliable information on physical activity to pregnant women. Further research on this topic is necessary in order for obstetric providers to counsel women on appropriate exercise with a twin pregnancy.

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Physical Activity Advice and Counselling by Healthcare Providers: A Scoping Review

Healthcare ◽

10.3390/healthcare9050609 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (5) ◽

pp. 609

Author(s):

Uchenna Benedine Okafor ◽

Daniel Ter Goon

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Pregnant Women ◽

Scoping Review ◽

Post Partum ◽

Healthcare Providers ◽

Original Research ◽

Eligibility Criteria ◽

Physical Activity Advice ◽

Scoping Reviews ◽

Physical Activity And Exercise

Background: Despite scientific evidence on prenatal physical activity and exercise, synthesized evidence is lacking on the provision of prenatal physical activity and exercise advice and counselling by prenatal healthcare providers. The scoping review seeks to fill this gap by synthesizing available literature on the provision of prenatal physical activity and exercise advice and counselling by prenatal healthcare providers to women during antenatal visits. Methods: The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) search framework for scoping reviews was applied to retrieve original research articles on the prenatal physical activity and exercise practices of healthcare providers with pregnant women, published between 2010–2020, and available in English. The search databases included Google Scholar, PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, EMBASE, The Cumulative Index for Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), BIOMED Central, Medline and African Journal Online. Studies that fulfilled the eligibility criteria were retrieved for analysis. Results: Out of the 82 articles that were retrieved for review, 13 met the eligibility criteria. Seven of the articles were quantitative, four qualitative, one mixed-method and one controlled, non-randomised study, respectively. Three themes emerged as major findings. Healthcare providers affirmed their responsibility in providing prenatal physical activity advice and counselling to pregnant women; however, they seldom or rarely performed this role. Major barriers to prenatal physical activity and exercise included insufficient time, lack of knowledge and skills, inadequate or insufficient training, and lack of resources. Conclusion: This review highlights salient features constraining the uptake of prenatal physical activity and exercise advice/counselling by prenatal healthcare providers in both community and clinical settings. Prenatal physical activity advice and counselling are key components to the promotion of physical activity adherence during and post-partum pregnancy; this requires adequate knowledge of physical activity prescriptions and recommendations, which are personalised and contextual to environment. Research is needed to examine the prenatal physical activity advice and counselling from prenatal healthcare providers on issues hindering effective delivery of the aforementioned in the context of promoting prenatal physical activity in clinical or community settings.

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Translation and cultural adaptation of the Pregnancy Physical Activity Questionnaire into Danish using the dual-panel approach: comparison with outcomes from an alternative translation approach

BMC Research Notes ◽

10.1186/s13104-021-05640-6 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Jannie Tygesen Schmidt ◽

Josephine Nielsen ◽

Allan Riis ◽

Birgit Tine Larsen

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Pregnant Women ◽

Activity Levels ◽

Physical Activity Questionnaire ◽

Culturally Adapted ◽

The Us ◽

Physical Activity Recommendations ◽

Approach Method ◽

Translation Methods ◽

Activity Questionnaire

Abstract Objective Physical activity reduces the risk of pregnancy-related complications. However, pregnant women often reduce their physical activity levels and do not follow the WHO’s physical activity recommendations during pregnancy. To support pregnant women in monitoring physical activity, the self-administered Pregnancy Physical Activity Questionnaire was developed in the US. We translated and cross-cultural adapted the questionnaire using the dual approach method. Meanwhile, and without knowing this, another Danish group simultaneously translated the questionnaire using the method described by Beaton et al. The aim is to present our data and discuss the unplanned purpose of comparing the results from using two different translation methods. Results We translated and cross-culturally adapted the Pregnancy Physical Activity Questionnaire to Danish with the following findings. Two additional items for cycling were included. Three items about spending time on a computer, reading, writing or talking on the phone were not feasible in terms of differentiating between them and these were merged into one item. The item ‘Taking care of an older adult’ was found to be irrelevant in a Danish setting and was removed. Adaptions were similar comparing the two methods. Consequently, using the dual-panel and the methods suggested by Beaton et al. yield similar results when translating and cultural adapting the PPAQ.

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The Association of Familial Hypertension and Risk of Gestational Hypertension and Preeclampsia

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18137045 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (13) ◽

pp. 7045

Author(s):

Małgorzata Lewandowska

Keyword(s):

Risk Factor ◽

Pregnant Women ◽

Odds Ratio ◽

Independent Risk Factor ◽

Gestational Hypertension ◽

First Trimester ◽

Chronic Hypertension ◽

Modifiable Factors ◽

The Family ◽

Maternal Hypertension

It has not been established how history of hypertension in the father or mother of pregnant women, combined with obesity or smoking, affects the risk of main forms of pregnancy-induced hypertension. A cohort of 912 pregnant women, recruited in the first trimester, was assessed; 113 (12.4%) women developed gestational hypertension (GH), 24 (2.6%) developed preeclampsia (PE) and 775 women remained normotensive (a control group). Multiple logistic regression was used to calculate adjusted odds ratios (AOR) (and 95% confidence intervals) of GH and PE for chronic hypertension in the father or mother of pregnant women. Some differences were discovered. (1) Paternal hypertension (vs. absence of hypertension in the family) was an independent risk factor for GH (AOR-a = 1.98 (1.2–3.28), p = 0.008). This odds ratio increased in pregnant women who smoked in the first trimester (AOR-a = 4.71 (1.01–21.96); p = 0.048) or smoked before pregnancy (AOR-a = 3.15 (1.16–8.54); p = 0.024), or had pre-pregnancy overweight (AOR-a = 2.67 (1.02–7.02); p = 0.046). (2) Maternal hypertension (vs. absence of hypertension in the family) was an independent risk factor for preeclampsia (PE) (AOR-a = 3.26 (1.3–8.16); p = 0.012). This odds ratio increased in the obese women (AOR-a = 6.51 (1.05–40.25); p = 0.044) and (paradoxically) in women who had never smoked (AOR-a = 5.31 (1.91–14.8); p = 0.001). Conclusions: Chronic hypertension in the father or mother affected the risk of preeclampsia and gestational hypertension in different ways. Modifiable factors (overweight/obesity and smoking) may exacerbate the relationships in question, however, paradoxically, beneficial effects of smoking for preeclampsia risk are also possible. Importantly, paternal and maternal hypertension were not independent risk factors for GH/PE in a subgroup of women with normal body mass index (BMI).

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