Factors associated with physical activity and sedentary behavior patterns in pregnant women: A cross-sectional study in Southern China.

OBJECTIVES

Guided by the social-ecological model, this study aimed to explore the patterns and associated factors of physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior (SB) among pregnant women.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study was conducted in Guangzhou, China, from October 2024 to January 2025. Five hundred and fifty-eight pregnant women were recruited through convenience sampling. They completed the Pregnancy Physical Activity Questionnaire, Pregnancy Discomforts Questionnaire, Pregnancy Physical Activity Self-Efficacy Scale, Pregnancy Physical Activity Social Support Scale, and Physical Activity Neighborhood Environment Scale. Multinomial logistic regression was used to investigate the factors associated with PA and SB patterns.

RESULTS

Four PA and SB lifestyle patterns were identified in this study, including low PA/high SB (n = 165, 29.57 %), high PA/high SB (n = 161, 28.85 %), low PA/low SB (n = 115, 20.61 %), and high PA/low SB (n = 117, 20.97 %). Compared with the healthy pattern of high PA/low SB, low PA/high SB was associated with employment (OR = 3.64), being primipara (OR = 1.85), screen time (OR = 1.44), and self-efficacy (OR = 0.93); high PA/high SB was associated with employment (OR = 4.97) and screen time (OR = 1.42); low PA/low SB correlated with sleep time (OR = 1.33), self-efficacy (OR = 0.95), and social support (OR = 0.98).

CONCLUSIONS

This study revealed a high prevalence of risky PA and SB lifestyle patterns among Chinese pregnant women. Healthcare providers could implement interventions focused on reducing screen time, avoiding excessive sleep, and enhancing self-efficacy at the individual level, while strengthening social support at the social level, to help pregnant women adopt a healthy lifestyle pattern characterized by high PA/low SB.