Measuring physical activity during pregnancy

Few studies exist that identify a useful self-report measure of physical activity for pregnant women. The purpose of this study was to compare the self-report exercise diary with the pedometer and determine if self-report measurement provided useful physical activity measures during pregnancy. The pregnant women's sleep, parity, and related demographic factors were further analyzed for relationships to the physical activity measures. Physical activity was assessed in a sample of 94 pregnant midwestern U.S. women ages 18 to 38 years. The women wore a pedometer during all waking hours for 3 consecutive days at 14 and 28 weeks of pregnancy for a total of 6 days. During the same 6 days of monitoring, the women kept a diary account of the minutes they exercised per day. The pedometer and self-report exercise diary results correlated significantly (r = 49, p = .02). When examining for usefulness in measuring physical activity, a comparison of the women's occupational categories revealed no significant differences in self-reported minutes of exercise or pedometer counts per day.