Relationship between Physical Activity and Health Related Quality of Life among Pregnant Women

Abstract

The study aimed to investigate the association between health-related quality of life (HQoL) and physical activity (PA) among pregnant women. Sample of pregnant women (N= 398; mean age=27.86±5.15 years) were surveyed using the Pregnancy Physical Activity and Health Related Quality of Life (SF 12) Questionnaires. Spearman correlation coefficient and logistic regression analyses were used to determine the bivariate relationship and association between HQoL and PA intensities and domain respectively. Overall, sedentary behaviour was positively albeit tenuously related to HQoL (r=0.111, P<0.01) whereas sport/exercise was the only domain of PA tenuously associated with the Physical health of HQoL (r=0.142, p<0.01). Also, pregnant women with sufficient PA were 4 times likely to report good quality of life in physical component not in the mental component of HQoL (OR: 4.33, 95% CI: 1.36-13.80). In conclusion, sports/exercise may be an important domain of PA to target when delivering interventions to improve the physical wellbeing among pregnant women in Maiduguri, Nigeria.

Keywords: Sedentary Behaviour, Physical Activity, Quality of life, Pregnancy