Objective:

To investigate the relationship between sedentary behavior and light-intensity physical activity during pregnancy and the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Approach:

Key Findings:

• Participants with high sedentary patterns (averaging 10-12 hours/day) had more than twice the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes compared to those with low sedentary patterns (averaging about 7 hours/day).
• Light-intensity physical activity showed an inverse relationship with risk; very high LPA (averaging about 7 hours/day) was associated with about half the risk of adverse outcomes compared to low LPA (averaging about 3 hours/day).
• Daily step patterns also correlated with risk; moderate and high step-count patterns were associated with lower risk compared to low step-count patterns.

Interpretation:

The study indicates that lower-intensity movement and reduced sedentary time may be relevant to pregnancy health, independent of structured exercise.

Limitations:

• The study does not establish specific sitting-time limits, step targets, or LPA doses for clinical recommendations.
• The findings for individual outcomes like gestational diabetes, preterm birth, and small for gestational age were too few to evaluate individually.

Conclusion:

The study findings may inform counseling pregnant women to avoid prolonged sitting and to incorporate more movement throughout the day.

Sources:

• JAMA
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