Women's views and experiences of a perinatal exercise counselling intervention: a qualitative study

Current guidelines support that physical activity during the perinatal period is beneficial for the mother and the foetus. However, women during their pregnancy and postpartum limit or discontinue their exercise routine. The aim of this study was to illustrate perinatal women's views and experiences derived from an Exercise Counselling (EC) intervention and evaluate the intervention's acceptability. A qualitative study with semi-structured interviews was conducted with eight adult women of reproductive age recruited from obstetric care practices. Participants had just completed an EC intervention regarding the effectiveness of exercise on perinatal depressive symptoms, implemented in the context of a Randomised Control Trial. The analysis resulted in three overarching themes: main obstacles to engagement with the EC intervention, factors that enabled participation in the EC intervention and participants' suggestions to improve the EC intervention. One of the main obstacles to engagement with the EC intervention was socio-cultural factors, such as the post-birth forty-day home stay, which negatively impacted women's participation in the intervention. By contrast, obstetricians' support and the positive effect of exercise on mental well-being were enabling factors. Finally, among recommendations to improve the EC intervention, women cited the partner's involvement and engagement in the EC earlier in pregnancy. In conclusion, designing and implementing culturally sensitive interventions targeting expectant parents as a dyad is fundamental for researchers and obstetricians. Future research should focus on identifying effective strategies to educate obstetricians about perinatal exercise and to develop protocols that could support the implementation of perinatal exercise counselling sessions in public health policy.

Automated summary

This study explores perinatal women's views and experiences of an Exercise Counselling (EC) intervention and evaluates its acceptability. Results indicate that socio-cultural factors pose significant barriers to engaging in the intervention, while support from obstetricians and the positive effects of exercise on mental well-being enable participation. Recommendations for improvement include involving partners earlier in the intervention. Designing culturally sensitive interventions for expectant parents is crucial, and future research should focus on educating obstetricians about perinatal exercise and developing protocols for implementing exercise counselling in public health policy.