Physical activity differences among pregnant women in public and private health care settings in eThekwini Municipality, Durban, South Africa

Abstract

Physical activity reduces pregnancy-related complications such as gestational diabetes and preeclampsia. In South Africa, some conditions affect women from different socio-economic strata disproportionately. For instance, the prevalence of pre-eclampsia is higher in women from lower socio-economic strata but gestational diabetes is is relatively more prevalent in women from higher socio-economic strata. Furthermore, women from different socio-economic strata utilise health care facilities within the country that vary in terms of facilities and quality of services. This study compared the physical activity levels among pregnant women at public and private sector health care settings in KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. A cross-sectional quantitative survey was conducted among 344 pregnant women (Mean age: 27.65 ± 5.3 years), attending either of these facilities in eThekwini municipality of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ) was used to quantify the participants’ physical activity, which was subsequently converted to metabolic equivalent scores (METs). More than half of the women from the private (60.3%, n = 117) and public (52.7%, n = 77) health care facilities reported exercising during pregnancy (p = 0.163). However, only 49.0% of women from the private facility and 56.2% of those from the public sector engaged in high levels of physical activity during pregnancy (p < 0.001). Walking was the preferred activity among the pregnant women from both groups. More women from the private sector health care settings were involved in recreational physical activity compared to those from the public sector settings whose physical activities related to household chores and transport. More women from the public health care climbed stairs daily (p = 0.044).The odds of climbing stairs were higher in those women who exercised during pregnancy (OR = 1.9, 95% CI: 1.36 – 3.06; p = 0.003) or prior to pregnancy (OR = 1.8, 95% CI: 1.2 – 2.8, p = 0.009). Regardless of health care setting, the pregnant women need to be more physically active to derive optimal health benefits. Competently supervised interventions are required to increase physical activity participation among the pregnant women.