Mothers’ knowledge, attitude and practice of exercise during pregnancy

Abstract

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG, 2020) claims that exercising during pregnancy is safe and beneficial for mothers without medical or obstetric complications. This study, therefore, aimed to explore women’s knowledge, attitude and practice of exercise during pregnancy. The specific objectives were to: identify maternal knowledge and information sources about exercise during pregnancy, explore pregnant women’s attitudes towards exercise and seek the current level of maternal exercise during pregnancy. A quantitative approach was adopted utilising a self-designed, self-administered, onetime questionnaire, which was distributed via social media. A convenience sample of 50 pregnant mothers attending virtual parentcraft classes, participated in this study, achieving a 100% response rate. Collected data was analysed manually using simple descriptive statistics and content analysis. Findings of this study transpired that the majority of mothers were knowledgeable about antenatal exercise. The most frequently reported sources of information about exercise during pregnancy were the internet, parentcraft classes and advice from midwives. Most participants showed a positive attitude towards exercise during pregnancy since they perceived exercise as beneficial. This study also revealed that the prevalence of physical activity among mothers was higher throughout pregnancy compared to the pre-pregnancy period. Walking was the most popular activity to engage in before and during pregnancy. An identified issue of concern was that expectant women mainly exercised 2-3 times weekly for 15-30 minutes a day, which is not in accordance with the ACOG (2020) recommendations. The main reasons which motivated mothers to exercise during pregnancy were maternal and foetal health benefits. Barriers to physical activity were mainly linked to safety concerns and fears. Several recommendations for practice, education and further research were proposed. These include the need for providing evidence-based information about antenatal exercise to pregnant mothers, providing pre-registration training and education on exercise for midwifery students and the need for a large-scale qualitative study to obtain in-depth information on the study phenomenon.