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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2024 Jul-Aug;16(4):518-526.
doi: 10.1177/19417381231189730. Epub 2023 Jul 31.

Influence of a Concurrent Exercise Training Program on Health-Related Quality of Life During Advanced Pregnancy: The GESTAFIT Project

Nuria Marín-Jiménez  1   2   3 , Laura Baena-García  1   4   5 , Irene Coll-Risco  1   6 , Marta Flor-Alemany  1   6 , José Castro-Piñero  2   3 , Virginia A Aparicio  1   6   7
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Influence of a Concurrent Exercise Training Program on Health-Related Quality of Life During Advanced Pregnancy: The GESTAFIT Project

Nuria Marín-Jiménez et al. Sports Health. 2024 Jul-Aug.

Abstract

Background: Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) may be altered during pregnancy due to pregnancy-related changes in all domains of women's health.

Hypothesis: A supervised concurrent exercise-training program from the 17th gestational week until birth positively influences HRQoL.

Study design: Randomized controlled trial.

Level of evidence: Level 1.

Methods: Eighty-six pregnant women (age, 33.1 ± 4.6 years; prepregnancy body mass index, 23.5 kg/m2), divided into exercise (n = 41) and control (n = 45) groups, participated in this study (per-protocol basis). The exercise group followed a 60-min, 3 days/week, concurrent (aerobic + resistance) exercise training program. HRQoL was assessed with the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36), where higher scores (0-100) indicate better HRQoL.

Results: After adjusting for potential confounders, the exercise group decreased 16.1 points less than the control group in the SF-36 physical functioning domain [between-group differences (B): 95% confidence interval (CI), 9.02 to 23.22; P < 0.01], and 4.5 points less in the SF-36 physical component summary than the control group (between-group differences (B): 95% CI, 0.65 to 8.28; P = 0.02). Intention-to-treat basis analyses depicted similar results, where the exercise group decreased 10.03 points less than the control group the in the SF-36 social functioning domain (between-group differences (B): 95% CI, 0.39 to 19.68; P = 0.04).

Conclusion: A supervised concurrent exercise training program ameliorates HRQoL decreases along gestation. Although HRQoL decreased throughout pregnancy in both groups, this impact was less in the exercise group, especially in the SF-36 physical functioning, the SF-36 social functioning, and the SF-36 physical component summary.

Clinical relevance: Healthcare providers may encourage pregnant women to exercise in this physiological stage for a better HRQoL throughout pregnancy.

Clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT02582567; Date of registration: 20/10/2015.

Keywords: Short-Form Health Survey 36; exercise; gestation; health-related quality of life.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors report no potential conflicts of interest in the development and publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Flowchart of the participants for these specific study aims. HRQoL, health-related quality of life.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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