Occupational physical activity as a determinant of daytime activity patterns and pregnancy and infant health

Occupational Physical Activity Among Pregnant Employees in the Danish Workforce: The PRECISE Occupational Cohort Profile

Purpose

Occupational physical activity (OPA) has been linked to adverse pregnancy outcomes, although findings are not consistent. This paper describes the PRECISE Occupational Cohort, designed with the purpose to obtain comprehensive information on OPA with objective measurements and prospective information on pregnancy-related discomforts and sick leave among pregnant employees in Denmark.

Methods

A total of 1556 pregnant participants were included between January 2023 and June 2024 from six obstetric departments in relation to the first trimester ultrasound scan. Information on OPA, pregnancy-related discomforts and sick leave was collected by repeated weekly questionnaires. Additionally, a subgroup of 327 pregnant participants and 90 non-pregnant co-workers were invited for repeated objective measurements, and/or workplace observations. A total of 603 accelerometer measurements from 412 unique participants, and 138 workplace observations were obtained from 102 unique participants. Time spent standing, walking and forward bending was acquired by accelerometers, and information on lifting and person-handlings was quantified by observations. All participants covered 197 occupational codes.

Results

A total of 1008 pregnant participants on average responded to the weekly questionnaires from pregnancy weeks 12-40. High frequencies of pregnancy discomforts were reported throughout pregnancy, and on average only 11% reported no discomforts. Pregnancy-related sick leave increased throughout pregnancy, peaking in pregnancy week 29, where 26% reported at least one day of pregnancy-related sick leave in the past week.

Conclusion

This cohort provides unique repeated measurements with comprehensive information about pregnant employees across many jobs, disclosing high levels of pregnancy discomforts and sick leave throughout pregnancy. The information will enable investigation of the associations of OPA, pregnancy-related discomforts and sick leave on a more detailed level than now. The objective measurements with novel information on OPA will contribute to the development of quantitative Job Exposure Matrices enabling investigation of the association between OPA and adverse pregnancy outcomes in larger populations, with the potential to strengthen preventive guidelines.

Physical activity level among pregnant women attending maternal healthcare services in rural Karnataka; findings of a cross-sectional study

Background Regular exercise during pregnancy improves fetal and mother outcomes unless contraindicated. Despite being generally safe and beneficial, non-participation in prenatal activity is relatively common among most of the Asian countries due to multiple reasons. In India, findings related to maternal physical activity and its determinant are scant. Objective The objective of this study is to assess the physical activity level and associated factors among pregnant women attending maternal healthcare services in Dakshina Kannada District in India. Method A multi-center community-based cross-sectional study was conducted recruiting 424 pregnant women attending the maternal healthcare facilities at four taluks of Dakshina Kannada district in Karnataka state, India. A structured questionnaire that collected information on socio-demographic, and maternal characteristics was used and the Pregnancy Physical Activity Questionnaire tool was used to determine the physical activity during pregnancy. Logistic regression model was used to determine the predictor variables. Results The prevalence of physical inactivity was 40.33%. Physical activity is favorable among pregnant women aged between 25 to 29 years, residing in an urban locality, diploma or graduation and being housewife. Determinants of physical inactivity during pregnancy were sedentary occupation (AOR 7.22, 95% CI 2.2, 23.4), low family income (AOR 3.16, 95% CI 1.414, 7.054), having one child (AOR 5.4, 95% CI 1.3, 22.2), during 2nd trimester (AOR 2.513, 95% CI 1.5, 4.23) and self-reported lack of time (AOR 2.884, 95% CI 1.410, 5.901). Conclusion and recommendation A moderate proportion of pregnant women reported physical inactivity during pregnancy in the Dakshina Kannada district, Karnataka. Physical inactivity was associated with sedentary employment, low income, number of children, trimester, and time constraints. Measures should be undertaken to promote the importance of recommended levels of physical activity, enhance access, and support system targeting pregnant women.