How APPropriate are exercise apps for pregnant women? A systematic search and content analysis of evidence-based content, features of exercise instruction, and expert involvement. (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melanie Hayman ◽  
Kristie-Lee Alfrey ◽  
Kim Waters ◽  
Summer Cannon ◽  
Gregore Iven Mielke ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Content Analysis ◽  
Individual Characteristics ◽  
Systematic Search ◽  
Current Evidence ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Supporting Evidence ◽  
Exercise In Pregnancy ◽  
Exercise During Pregnancy ◽  
In Pregnancy

BACKGROUND Guidelines on physical activity/exercise during pregnancy recommend all women without contraindications engage in regular physical activity to improve both their own health and the health of their baby. Many women are uncertain how to safely engage in physical activity/exercise during this life-stage and are increasingly using mobile applications (apps) to access health-related information. However, the extent to which apps provide physical activity/exercise advice aligns with current evidence-based pregnancy recommendations is currently unclear. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to conduct a systematic search and content analysis of apps that promote physical activity/exercise in pregnancy to examine: (1) alignment of the content with current evidence-based recommendations; (2) delivery, format and features of physical activity/exercise instruction; and (3) credentials of app developers. METHODS Systematic searches were conducted in the Australian AppStore and GooglePlay stores in October 2020. Apps were identified using combinations of search terms relevant to pregnancy and physical activity/exercise and screened for inclusion (primary focus on physical activity/exercise during pregnancy, free to download or did not require immediate paid subscription and an average user rating of 4+ out of 5). Each app was then independently reviewed using an author-designed extraction tool. Data were exported, collated, and reported using descriptive statistics. RESULTS Twenty-seven apps were included in this review (GooglePlay: n=16 and AppStore: n=11). All were exercise-based apps that predominately recommended structured and purposeful activity. Two-thirds (n=17) provided some information relating to each of the FITT principles (frequency, intensity, time, type) of exercise; however, only three provided this information in-line with current evidence-based guidelines. Just over one-third of apps (n=10) provided information about contraindications to exercise during pregnancy and referenced the supporting evidence. No apps actively engaged in screening for potential contraindications. Only four apps collected information about the user’s current exercise behaviours, three apps allowed users to personalise features relating to their exercise preferences, and just over one-third (n=10) provided information about developer credentials. CONCLUSIONS Our findings showed that few exercise apps designed for pregnancy aligned with current evidence-based physical activity guidelines. No apps screened users for contraindications to physical activity/exercise during pregnancy and most lacked appropriate personalisation features to account for individual characteristics. Few involved qualified experts during the development of the app. As such, there is a need to improve the quality of apps that promote exercise in pregnancy, to ensure women are appropriately supported to engage in exercise, and the potential risk of injury, complications and/or adverse pregnancy outcomes for both mother and child is minimised. This could be done by providing expert guidance that aligns with current recommendations, introducing screening measures and features that enable personalisation and tailoring to individual users, or by developing a recognised system for regulating apps. CLINICALTRIAL Not required

scholarly journals PREVALENCE AND POSSIBLE RISK FACTORS OF HEMORRHOIDAL THROMBOSIS IN PREGNANCY AND POSTPARTUM PERIOD

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 209-214
Author(s):  
Yuliya S. Medkova ◽  
D. R Markar’yan ◽  
I. A Tulina ◽  
Yu. A Churina ◽  
L. S Aleksandrov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Risk Factors ◽  
Postpartum Period ◽  
Patient Management ◽  
Current Data ◽  
Sufficient Evidence ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Initial Visit ◽  
Pregnancy And Postpartum ◽  
In Pregnancy

Introduction. Nowadays there are no sufficient evidence based data for a scientifically approach to the treatment of hemorrhoids during pregnancy and after childbirth, as well as current data of the prevalence of hemorrhoidal thrombosis (HT) and possible risk factors. Material and methods. The study included pregnant women and puerperas who were actively diagnosed with chronic hemorrhoids (CH) and HT. The physical examination was performed four times: at the woman’s initial visit to the obstetrician-gynecologist, at 24 weeks of pregnancy, at 36 weeks of pregnancy, in the postpartum period (within 7 days after delivery). Patients suffering from HT were asked to answer a questionnaire to determine possible risk factors. Results. A study was conducted on a population of 668 women. 104 women was diagnosed with CH in the postpartum period, and 81 - during pregnancy. The median VAS score with HT was 7. Second delivery, age over 30 years old, lack of physical activity during pregnancy and vaginal delivery are possible risk factors for the development of HT. Conclusions. In the presence of a high risk of HT during pregnancy and in the postpartum period, preventive examinations by a coloproctologist are an important aspect of patient management.

scholarly journals Perceptual-Motor and Perceptual-Cognitive Skill Acquisition in Soccer: A Systematic Review on the Influence of Practice Design and Coaching Behavior

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fynn Bergmann ◽  
Rob Gray ◽  
Svenja Wachsmuth ◽  
Oliver Höner
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Skill Acquisition ◽  
Empirical Support ◽  
Cognitive Skill ◽  
Systematic Search ◽  
Current Evidence ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Theoretical Frameworks ◽  
Cognitive Skill Acquisition ◽  
Coaching Behavior

Facilitating players' skill acquisition is a major challenge within sport coaches' work which should be supported by evidence-based recommendations outlining the most effective practice and coaching methods. This systematic review aimed at accumulating empirical knowledge on the influence of practice design and coaching behavior on perceptual-motor and perceptual-cognitive skill acquisition in soccer. A systematic search was carried out according to the PRISMA guidelines across the databases SPORTDiscus, PsycInfo, MEDLINE, and Web of Science to identify soccer-specific intervention studies conducted in applied experimental settings (search date: 22nd November 2020). The systematic search yielded 8,295 distinct hits which underwent an independent screening process. Finally, 34 eligible articles, comprising of 35 individual studies, were identified and reviewed regarding their theoretical frameworks, methodological approaches and quality, as well as the interventions' effectiveness. These studies were classified into the following two groups: Eighteen studies investigated the theory-driven instructional approaches Differential Learning, Teaching Games for Understanding, and Non-linear Pedagogy. Another seventeen studies, most of them not grounded within a theoretical framework, examined specific aspects of practice task design or coaches' instructions. The Downs and Black checklist and the Template for Intervention Description and Replication were applied to assess the quality in reporting, risk of bias, and the quality of interventions' description. Based on these assessments, the included research was of moderate quality, however, with large differences across individual studies. The quantitative synthesis of results revealed empirical support for the effectiveness of coaching methodologies aiming at encouraging players' self-exploration within representative scenarios to promote technical and tactical skills. Nevertheless, “traditional” repetition-based approaches also achieved improvements with respect to players' technical outcomes, yet, their impact on match-play performance remains widely unexplored. In the light of the large methodological heterogeneity of the included studies (e.g., outcomes or control groups' practice activities), the presented results need to be interpreted by taking the respective intervention characteristics into account. Overall, the current evidence needs to be extended by theory-driven, high-quality studies within controlled experimental designs to allow more consolidated and evidence-based recommendations for coaches' work.

Impact of prior pregnancy loss or pre-term delivery on attitudes toward exercise in pregnancy

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 535
Author(s):  
Jay-Sheree Allen ◽  
Brooke Meade ◽  
Matthew R Meunier ◽  
Sarah Jenkins ◽  
Kristi Borowski ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pregnancy Loss ◽  
Antenatal Depression ◽  
Survey Study ◽  
Emotional Wellbeing ◽  
Prospective Survey ◽  
Term Delivery ◽  
History Of ◽  
Exercise In Pregnancy ◽  
Exercise During Pregnancy ◽  
In Pregnancy

Background: Exercise during pregnancy has minimal risks and has been shown to benefit most women, including reduction in cesarean section rates, appropriate maternal and fetal weight gain managing gestational diabetes as well as preventing and treating antenatal depression. There are, however, multiple factors that may influence an expectant mother’s decision to engage in physical activity, including concerns for potentially harming the baby or the pregnancy. We designed a study to determine whether or not a prior pregnancy loss or pre-term delivery would increase an expectant mother’s concern about exercise during a current pregnancy.Methods: Our prospective survey study consisted of 572 obstetric patients, 173 (30.2%) had a history of prior pregnancy loss or pre-term delivery (PPLPT) compared to 399 (69.8%) with no history of a prior pregnancy loss (NPL).Results: Logistic regression modeling was performed, including the following variables: history of abortion, miscarriage, or pregnancy loss, age, pre-pregnancy BMI, typical weekly pre-pregnancy exercise minutes, physical wellbeing and emotional wellbeing. Patients in the PPLPT group were more likely to express a fear of hurting the baby as a barrier to exercise during pregnancy, with an adjusted odds ratio of 2.358 (95% CI 1.111-3.852, p<0.001).Conclusions: Pregnant women who have experienced prior pregnancy loss or pre-term delivery were associated with a significantly higher endorsement of concern that exercise could harm their current pregnancy. This was despite their acknowledgement that exercise is considered safe and encouraged for pregnancies. An awareness of this concern will allow the clinicians who care for these patients to consider additional discussion regarding exercise in pregnancy.

scholarly journals German Recommendations for Physical Activity and Physical Activity Promotion in Adults with Noncommunicable Diseases

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wolfgang Geidl ◽  
Karim Abu-Omar ◽  
Mayra Weege ◽  
Sven Messing ◽  
Klaus Pfeifer
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Content Analysis ◽  
Chronic Conditions ◽  
Phase 1 ◽  
Quality Criteria ◽  
Noncommunicable Diseases ◽  
Moderate Intensity ◽  
Chronic Obstructive ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Activity Promotion

ABSTRACTBackgroundThe objective of this study was to develop evidence-based recommendations for physical activity (PA) and PA promotion for German adults (18–65 years) with noncommunicable diseases (NCDs).MethodsThe PA recommendations were developed based on existing PA recommendations and using a three-phased process. In phase 1, systematic literature searches were conducted for current PA recommendations for seven chronic conditions (osteoarthrosis of the hip and knee, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, stable ischemic heart disease, stroke, clinical depression, and chronic non-specific back pain). In phase 2, the PA recommendations were evaluated on the basis of 28 quality criteria. High-quality recommendations were identified, and a content analysis was conducted on these recommendations. In phase 3, the findings of the content analysis were summarised, and PA recommendations for seven chronic conditions were deducted. The seven recommendations were then synthesised to generate generic German PA recommendations for adults with noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). In relation to the recommendations for PA promotion, a systematic literature review was conducted on papers that reviewed the efficacy/effectiveness of interventions for PA promotion in adults with NCDs.ResultsThe German Recommendations for Physical Activity state that adults with NCDs should, over the course of a week, should do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic PA, or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic PA, or a combination of both. Furthermore, muscle-strengthening activities should be performed at least twice a week. The promotion of PA among adults with NCDs should be theory-based, specifically target PA behaviour, and be tailored to the respective target group. In this context, and as an intervention method, exercise referral schemes are one of the more promising methods of promoting PA in adults with NCDs.ConclusionThe development of evidence-based recommendations for PA and PA promotion is an important step in terms of the initiation and implementation of actions for PA-related health promotion in Germany. The German Recommendations for PA and PA promotion inform adults affected by NCDs and health professionals on how much PA would be optimal for adults with NCDs. Additionally, the recommendations provide professionals entrusted in PA promotion the best strategies and interventions to raise low PA levels in adults with NCDs. The formulation of specific PA recommendations for adults with NCDs and their combination with recommendations on PA promotion is a unique characteristic of the German recommendations.

Exercise in Pregnancy: Psychological Benefits

1996 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 48 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Kirkby ◽  
Rachael Birmingham
Keyword(s):  
Pregnant Woman ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Negative Symptoms ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Psychological Benefits ◽  
Birth Process ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Exercise In Pregnancy ◽  
Exercise During Pregnancy ◽  
In Pregnancy

Research findings have indicated that involvement in exercise can be beneficial to a pregnant woman and to the child she is carrying. Despite the apparent importance of this topic, researchers have directed little attention to the behavioural consequences of exercise for pregnant women. Furthermore, most of the investigations in this area have been vulnerable to serious criticisms of design, analysis, or interpretation. Notwithstanding these criticisms, the literature suggests that involvement in exercise during pregnancy is associated with perception of reduced negative symptoms, improvements in general mood, reduced depression, and increased self-esteem. As well, studies of childbirth stress have indicated that women who exercise during pregnancy reported less effort and lowered experience of pain in the birth process. In terms of best clinical practice it was recommended that health professionals should focus on the processes of informing, educating, and encouraging women about exercise in pregnancy, screening at-risk women, and identifying appropriate activities.

Exercise during pregnancy: a comparative review of guidelines

2020 ◽  
Vol 48 (6) ◽  
pp. 519-525
Author(s):  
Ioannis Tsakiridis ◽  
Dimitra Rafailia Bakaloudi ◽  
Artemis Christina Oikonomidou ◽  
Themistoklis Dagklis ◽  
Michail Chourdakis
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Pregnant Woman ◽  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Physical Activities ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Comparative Review ◽  
Zealand College ◽  
Exercise In Pregnancy ◽  
Exercise During Pregnancy ◽  
In Pregnancy

AbstractExercise during pregnancy may be beneficial provided that there are no contraindications. The aim of this study was to summarize and compare recommendations regarding exercise in pregnancy. Thus, a comparative descriptive review was conducted and included guidelines by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada and the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. All compared guidelines recommend that pregnant women without contraindications should undertake physical activities regularly, however, the type of workout performed should be adjusted based on the previous exercise experience and the physical condition of each pregnant woman. A variation among the reviewed guidelines was identified on appropriate and inappropriate activities and on indications to interrupt exercise. To summarize, the adoption of an international up-to-date consensus regarding appropriate exercise during pregnancy may be beneficial in ensuring the safety of the pregnant women while promoting their physical and mental health.

scholarly journals Asia-Pacific consensus on physical activity and exercise in pregnancy and the postpartum period

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. e000967
Author(s):  
Ryan Lee ◽  
Serene Thain ◽  
Lay Kok Tan ◽  
Terry Teo ◽  
Kok Hian Tan
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Postpartum Period ◽  
International Workshop ◽  
Asia Pacific ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Consensus Recommendations ◽  
Physical Activity And Exercise ◽  
Exercise In Pregnancy ◽  
In Pregnancy

Physical activity and exercise in pregnancy are generally beneficial and enhance the physical and mental health of women. These benefits also prevent excessive weight gain and reduce risks of obesity in pregnancy, such as gestational diabetes, hypertensive disorders, higher rates of caesarean delivery, macrosomia and stillbirth. Thus, there is a need to optimise perinatal exercise and physical activity globally. There is currently no consensus recommendation on the role of physical activity and exercise in pregnancy and the postpartum period in the Asia-Pacific region. In this paper, we present seven key consensus recommendations on physical activity and exercise in pregnancy and the postpartum period by 18 key members representing 10 countries in Asia-Pacific regions during an international workshop of the AsiaDiabetes in Pregnancy Conference in Singapore on 11–12 January 2020. Through these consensus recommendations, we hope to improve the metabolic health of pregnant women living in Asia-Pacific regions by educating the public and guiding healthcare professionals on the safety and importance of physical exercise and activity to benefit pregnant women and after childbirth.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document