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Review
. 2017 Aug;39(8):424-432.
doi: 10.1055/s-0037-1604180. Epub 2017 Aug 7.

Physical Activity during Pregnancy: Recommendations and Assessment Tools

Cibele Oliveira  1 , Thiago Dos Santos Imakawa  2 , Elaine Christine Dantas Moisés  1
Affiliations
Review

Physical Activity during Pregnancy: Recommendations and Assessment Tools

Cibele Oliveira et al. Rev Bras Ginecol Obstet. 2017 Aug.

Erratum in

Abstract
in English, Portuguese

The literature that supports and recommends the practice of exercise during pregnancy is extensive.However, although a more complete research on ways to evaluate the physical activity performed by pregnant women has been perfomed, it is found that there is no gold standard and that the articles in the area are inconclusive. Thus, the objective of the present article is to review relevant aspects, such as, technique and applicability of the different methods for the assessment of physical activity during pregnancy to provide more reliable and safe information for health professionals to encourage their pregnant patients to engage in the practice of physical activity. This review concluded that all tools for the analysis of physical activity have limitations. Thus, it is necessary to establish the objectives of evaluation in an appropriate manner, as well as to determine their viability and cost-effectiveness for the population under study.

A literatura que apoia e recomenda a prática do exercício durante a gravidez é extensa. Apesar disso, embora tenha sido feita uma pesquisa mais completa sobre as formas de avaliar a atividade física realizada por mulheres grávidas, verifica-se que não há padrão ouro, e que os artigos na área são inconclusivos. Assim, o objetivo do presente artigo é revisar aspectos relevantes, como a técnica e a aplicabilidade dos diferentes métodos de avaliação da atividade física durante a gestação, a fim de fornecer aos profissionais de saúde informações mais confiáveis e seguras para encorajar as pacientes grávidas à prática de atividade física. Esta revisão concluiu que todas as ferramentas para a análise da atividade física têm limitações. Assim, é necessário estabelecer os objetivos da avaliação de forma adequada, bem como determinar a sua viabilidade e custo-efetividade para a população em estudo.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Conflicting Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest that are directly relevant to the content of this article.

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