Assessment of Physical Activity among Antenatal Mothers Attending a Selected Hospital in Sri Lanka: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study.

Abstract

Background: Regular physical activity (PA) is essential throughout life, including pregnancy, as it bears numerous benefits while posing minimum health risks. Antenatal mothers are a distinct group of individuals at increased risk of physical inactivity, and they should practice healthy routines to minimize pregnancy-related complications.

Objective: To determine the level of PA among antenatal mothers who visit a selected clinic at Castle Street Hospital, Sri Lanka Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 300 antenatal mothers who visited an antenatal clinic at Castle Street Hospital, Sri Lanka. Data were collected upon obtaining voluntary consent from participants recruited via a consecutive sampling technique. The level of PA was measured using a validated International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) in the Sri Lankan context. PA was categorized based on Metabolic Equivalent of Task (MET) minutes/week as inactive (<600 METs), minimally active (600-2999 METs), and health enhancing physically active (>3000 METs). Descriptive statistics were performed using SPSS version 25.0.

Results: The mean±SD age of the participants was 30±7 years. The majority were Sinhalese (58%, n=173), Buddhist (48%, n=145), and residing in urban areas (51%, n=152). Most antenatal mothers were minimally active (44%, n=132). Out of all, 35% (n=106) were health-enhancing physically active with an average MET minutes/week of 2652.60±2170 (median=2757, IQR=3564), while the rest were inactive (21%, n=62). The average sitting time per day was 4±2 hours. Conclusion: This study revealed that most of the antenatal mothers were not engaged in health enhancing levels of PA. Study findings emphasize the need to promote PA among antenatal mothers. Future research should explore effective interventions to uplift the PA level of antenatal mothers.